![]() ![]() He learnt from the best, worked with the best and became the best, when in 1775, he founded his namesake brand. Many consider Abraham-Louis Breguet to be the father of modern watchmaking, bridging the gap between the classic English pocket watch makers and the more recent Swiss wristwatch makers. A gem-set tourbillon can cost you upwards of $1m. It is the oldest watchmaker still in business today, and the excellence of its watchmaking, both in classic complication and sturdy dive watches, has kept it in business. ![]() That was in 1953, but Blancpain had already been operating continuously since 1735. With a black dial with bold, contrasting markers coated in luminous paint, plus a rotating timing bezel, it was Blancpain’s Fifty Fathoms that sparked a new era. ![]() When you think of the classic dive watch, the first thought is of the Rolex Submariner, but it was in fact Blancpain that established the now-famous layout. Nevertheless, it was still a Royal Oak that achieved a $2m price at auction. The quality was so good, it wasn’t long before they started making watches of their own. Founded way back in 1875, the watchmaker earned its crust in high complication movements for other watchmakers. Other masters Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin soon took Audemars Piguet’s lead and created their own versions too.īut Audemars Piguet wasn’t established on the Royal Oak. It was with some quick thinking-mostly from designer Gerald Genta, who submitted the sketches for the Royal Oak the night before the big unveiling-that Audemars Piguet reinvented the idea of a mechanical watch being a highly desirable luxury item, pricing the simple steel Royal Oak higher than its gold complications. Quartz watches-which were much cheaper and much more accurate-threatened to destroy Switzerland’s entire mechanical watchmaking landscape. Primarily known for the Royal Oak, Audemars Piguet is most famous for drawing a line in the sand in 1972 to turn the entire industry from a supplier of instruments to a creator of luxury. The German watchmaker is also known for its incredible-and incredibly inventive-complications, with the $200,000 Triple Split chronograph allowing not just a secondary hand to pause for the seconds, but the minutes and even hours too. Lange & Söhne had the capability to place precise holes in one large piece of metal, rather than relying on the adjustability of several smaller pieces to make everything fit. Not only is that a staple German watchmaking trend, it also demonstrated that A. This watchmaker is famed for its precision and attention to detail, establishing the famous German three-quarter plate look. Lange & Söhne founder Ferdinand Adolph Lange with help from a government grant to revitalise the dwindling mining town. The area, now famed for its high-quality watch brands, was established by A. Lange & Söhne has been making watches in the little watchmaking town of Glashütte since 1845. You might not expect the first brand in this list to come from Germany instead of Switzerland, but A. ![]()
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