Manufacturing criteria of luxury watch brands

Luxury watch brands use premium materials to ensure not only durability but also unparalleled aesthetics.

• Cases and bracelets:

  • Precious metals such as 18 carat gold, platinum, or even titanium.
  • High quality stainless steel, often polished to a mirror finish.
  • Genuine leather (alligator, calf) or luxury ceramic straps.

• Dials and hands:

  • Dials in mother-of-pearl, grand feu enamel, or decorated with artisanal techniques such as guillochage.
  • Needles often made by hand, sometimes in blued steel or precious metals.

• Sapphire crystal:

  • Used to protect the dial, it is almost scratch-proof and offers perfect transparency.

Craftsmanship is at the heart of luxury watchmaking. Unlike mass-produced watches, these benefit from meticulous attention to every step of their manufacturing.

• Manual assembly:
  Every component, from the movement to the case, is assembled by hand by expert watchmakers, guaranteeing impeccable precision and quality.

• High-end finishes:

  • Zaratsu polishing (used by Grand Seiko) for a perfect mirror effect.
  • Complex decorations such as engraving, perlage or Geneva stripes on the movements.

• Watch complications:
  Complications such as tourbillons, perpetual calendars or minute repeaters require weeks or even months of artisanal work.

The heart of a luxury watch lies in its movement, designed with remarkable precision and innovation.

• Home movements:
  The major watchmaking houses design and manufacture their own calibers, guaranteeing their exclusivity and precision.

• Precision and innovation:

  • High frequency calibers (Hi-Beat, 36,000 vibrations per hour).
  • Innovative mechanisms such as Grand Seiko's Spring Drive or flyback chronographs.

• COSC Certification:
  Many luxury watches are certified as chronometers by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute, guaranteeing exceptional precision.