Swiss watch brands reflect its people. In a country where train schedules are timed to the second, and tidiness is happiness, there is deep national pride for its killer watchmaking – to the point ‘Swiss Made’ is one of the world’s biggest USPs for any product.
We all know what big brands like Rolex, Omega and Patek Philippe mean as symbols of craftsmanship and status, but what about the rest? Over the past decade, smaller Swiss brands and independents have taken their rightful place in the spotlight.
From affordable slim mid-century perfection to an intricate tech-beast of a watch, these are the Swiss brands with personality in a world of ubiquity. Some of them might make your credit card curl up in fear, but for others you’ll find availability, not wait lists. And that might be worth a re-evaluation of your wrist budget, trust us.
“If everyone's looking right, look left," says Silas Walton, founder of online sales platform A Collected Man. "The opportunity to discover incredible watchmaking down the path less travelled is real and growing by the day.”
Or as Justin Hast of The Watch Annual puts it: “You rock up to the work Christmas drinks or that annual dinner with school friends and no doubt you will see the usual suspects on show: the odd Sub or GMT or even a Royal Oak. But what you are less likely to see is a Laurent Ferrier Sport Auto, a Chopard LUC 1860 with salmon dial or an MB&F Legacy Machine. While all modern takes on classic watchmaking (some with more of a twist than others), there’s something magical about a less obvious choice."
FP Journe Elegante 48mm 10th Anniversary
Quartz can be grail-worthy, just ask rock god John Mayer who likes to flaunt his F.P.Journe Elegante while strumming his Stratocaster. Through the hand-crafted magic of Geneva’s Francois-Paul Journe, the Elegante and its angular Tortue case has become something of a cult icon. So imagine the scenes when lovers first set eyes on a rainbow version. The Satsuma-fresh rubber strap will have sent some over the edge. POA. At fpjourne.com
De Bethune DB28xs Purple Rain
Get your Prince merch collection up on eBay because your ship has come in. Through the alchemy of thermally-oxidised titanium (our lab coats are on), De Bethune boasts the first-ever deep purple case and dial combo. The case offers the brand’s ergonomically hinged lugs while the dial has an uneven guilloche pattern with applied white gold stars. Big grail power for CHF 90,000. At debethune.ch
Laurent Ferrier Classic Moon Blue
Strong independent brands like Laurent Ferrier are fast becoming the astute aficionado’s alternative to Patek, Vacheron and other often unattainable big-grail brands. This year it has an audacious new annual calendar movement straddling the line between tradition and quiet luxury. There’s a whole lot of lume lighting up its first ever moon phase feature, which incidentally needs more man-hours to hand-finish than most complete watches. £61,700. At laurentferrier.ch
Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad
23 years on from the first one, Ulysse Nardin gets another freak on with this brilliantly alien timepiece. Beneath crystal-clear sapphire, the entire movement serves as a minute hand while imitating a spacecraft perched on a beige-gold landing pad. As bonkers – and futuristic as it sounds – it actually takes cues from an 18th-century traditional Guillochè, which reminds us that when it comes to craftsmanship, the past has a habit of repeating itself. POA. At ulysse-nardin.com
Jaeger Le-Coultre Duométre Chronograph Moon
The new Duomètre series is JLC’s tour de force, and we’re pretty awestruck. With a rich salmon-pink toned dial, there’s so much to unpack in this delightfully balanced piece of wrist art, including an open-worked movement that mimics a grin at the dial’s base. £69,000. At jaeger-lecoultre.com
Simon Brette Chronomètre Artisans
The GPHG awards are the bonafide Oscars of the watch world so winning the Revelation prize speaks volumes about Simon Brette – a young, independent watchmaker capable of hand-built horlogerie with breathtaking details like the Chronomètre Artisans. The watch is a product of an untold amount of man-hours, 226 components obsessively executed with a hypnotising Dragonscale dial. One thing is for sure, Brette’s in-house craftsmanship has set him on the path to Indie-fame. POA. At simonbrette.com
Chopard Alpine Eagle XPS
Ever since its debut in 2019, the sustainably manufactured Lucent Steel of the Chopard Alpine Eagle – integrated bracelets and all – has brought back some serious ‘70s-bling vibes to watches. 41mm wears compact, the XPS has a chronometer-certified movement and how luxe is the Eagle-iris inspired swirl of texture in the delicious copper-gold toned dial? £20,500. At goldsmiths.co.uk
Frederique Constant Worldtimer
This mid-priced winner from Frederique Constant eloquently proves that steel watches can be accessible. Melding the mid-century charm of a world timer with its evocative circle of destinations, its cushion case and bracelet are resolutely modern. Complete with a manufacture movement and a medium 41mm case, it's a no brainer. £3,795. At goldsmiths.co.uk
Furlan Marri Rosso Grigio
This is the accessible microbrand that upset the balance with its award-winning debut chronographs. Furlan Marri watches are affordable, yet inhabit a rarefied space fêted by industry big-wigs and Patek Philippe collectors alike, but why? A solid meca-quartz movement keeps the price point everyman-low, sporting the impeccable execution and proportions of a mid-century icon we never knew about. The Rosso Grigio adds a welcome dose of colour to a goldilocks recipe. CHF 555. At furlanmarri.com
Alpina Startimer Extreme
Alpina might just be the storied Swiss brand you’ve never heard of, and the Startimer has certainly got the sports-lux clues to change it. There is a deep ocean blue dial and intricate geometric pattern that sets the tone under a broad-brushed bezel. Its 41mm proportionate case body plays our fave theme of intricate detailing set within a muscular case. A slim flat link bracelet and Swiss automatic movement add to a value-packed watch. £1,750. At jurawatches.co.uk
Mido Multifort TV Big Date
This is the best alternative under £1K to an Patek Aquanaut with its very own quirky style traits. We feel a tinge of deja-vu looking at the sweeping case sides and a broad bezel, but then the quirky personality becomes all Mido. There’s a deep feeling of seventies design in the TV-shaped dial, with a bold double-date window at 12. Equipped with a high-tech 80-hour reserve movement it packs a squircular punch and offers big value. £980. At midowatches.com
Norqain Wild ONE
Norqain is a young Swiss brand that is staking its claim in the hot mid-luxury market, and its Wild ONE is the tool to do it. But this is about clean-cut modernity and a refreshing lack of retro-love. The name may build up expectations but they’re justified. As the freshest, high-tech composite watch of this summer, the contrasting, eye-popping turquoise details make it a mood-changer. £4,550. At jurawatches.co.uk
Doxa Sub 600T
Doxa is a go-to indie brand for anyone in the game for a retro dive watch vibe, and this Sub 600T pulls out all the stops with a deep blue dial and oranges touches. To say it is deserving of more attention is an understatement – though anyone who owns a Doxa will happily admit they like the fact it remains a relative unknown. £1,350. At doxawatches.com
Oris Aquis Date Calibre 400
Oris is a brand known for a great balance of contemporary sports watches with sweet-sized vintage in its Diver’s 65 range. The Oris series was last year the debut of its technical tour de force Calibre 400 with a 5-day power reserve and a 10-year warranty. Offsetting this tech-fest we’d choose the extravagant look of the gold-infused bi-colour version on a summer fresh rubber strap. This is all the sports watch you need, with an intricate hi-tech heart. £3,500. At oris.ch & jurawatches.co.uk
Certina DS+
The Certina brand has a strong history in mainland Europe and is making waves in the UK by asking a question we know the answer to. How would you like a watch with a swappable case? With three alternatives including an Aqua and Sports version, you’re covered for two styles in one box. The main circular case with comes with two designs, two straps and an 80-hour automatic movement, giving you a flexible 4-in-one combo. Innovative and game-changing, we're sold. £945. At certina.co.uk & jurawatches.co.uk
Mondaine Classic
Our mention of the impeccable timing of Swiss trains has a literal connection to the Bauhaus minimalism of Mondaine. Its crisp white dials and popping red seconds hands are in fact inspired by the Swiss Railway station clocks. This 40mm ABC of legibility comes on a smooth leather strap with red lining. If only UK train services would synchronise with your Swiss wristwear, our lives would be vastly improved. £229. At jurawatches.co.uk
Carl F Bucherer Manero Flyback Black
Carl F Bucherer is a big player among Swiss watch brands, and with its own Bucherer Blue editions of brands including Breitling, is a force to be reckoned with. The brand has recently released an all-black capsule collection, including this Manero Flyback Chronograph. With a strong '50s design juxtaposed with a stealthy 43mm blacked-out vibe and a textured rubber strap, we love its contrasting character. £6,200. At bucherer.com
Reservoir x Label Noir x Popeye
Swiss indie brand Reservoir – lover of all things bold and radical – has just released this limited edition Popeye piece in black. LabelNoir is known for its understated designs, and the grey titanium case is a suave example. The 41.5mm size makes for comfort on the wrist, but it’s about the exuberant dial. A large window at 6 displays the jumping hours, while Popeye’s beefy forearm indicates the minutes on a semi-circular retrograde scale. Cartoon gunshows on a watch for €4,700. At reservoir-watch.com
Gerald Charles Maestro 3.0 Chronograph
The legacy of Gerald Genta is a lot more than octagonal grails like the Royal Oak. In fact, Genta’s pen rendered watches as indefinable as the Gerald Charles Maestro. This baroque-curvy sports watch brand hit us last year gracing the wrist of tennis ace Nikoloz Basilashvili, and leaving a lingering impression. GC is a step up in the price stakes but with these curvy-sharp details and a decidedly sporty rubber strap in a vivid green, it has us swooning for £19,400. At geraldcharles.com & mrporter.com
Parmigiani Tonda PF Sport
Parmigiani Fleurier is one of those brands that gets under your skin with a quiet mix of luxury and panda-dial perfection. The new Tonda PF Sport is Parmigiani’s take on luxury sports, with the power to blow a few big brands out of the water. Its tactile, tough-looking integrated strap picks up the panda magic of the guilloche dial’s registers. It also offers up a perfect contrast to the case, which despite Parmigiani’s invitation to sports and the great outdoors, is in sleek rose gold. The fluted bezel and tell-tale swoopy lugs of the hand-polished case would look rather good with something tailored – King Charles would concur. £45,040. At jurawatches.co.uk
Czapek Antarctique Sashiko
We’ve already agreed to the chic feel of an integrated bracelet being the look of 2023, but some players up the game, and Czapek’s Antarctique is an ace card with a pink twist. The Sashiko emanates a Japanese sartorial beauty, named after a pattern from the Edo period with stylized lotus flowers. With its sleek steel bracelet and mere 10.6mm case thickness, it’s a pretty suave way to tap into the pink wave of the summer. CHF 24,000. At czapek.com
JC Biver Carillon Tourbillon
For many, Jean Claude Biver is the reason we have this very watch section, reviving the brands and raison d’être of Swiss mechanical watches in the '80s. We might have waited a long time for his eponymous brand to appear, but when it did, we were blown away. A polarising and for some overwrought timepiece on the best bracelet in the business, the Carillon Tourbillon is a multi-function masterpiece of mechanical complexities (we would need more pages to explain). In polished titanium for $570,000. At jcbiver.com
Vuotilainen 28 SC
Kari Voutilainen is the go-to collaborator for mesmerising dial work on the Swiss indie scene, and his namesake brand shows us why. The 28SC is 38.5mm in diameter with sweeping cowhorn lugs and a dial to die for. The deep blue scene the Vingt-8 is a showcase for the ancient art of guillochè, with Voutilaninen’s trademark Breguet hands made from steel and gold. A hand-finished movement entirely fabricated in-house powers this beguiling piece of craftsmanship. $93,000. At vuotilainen.ch
MB&F HM11 Architect
Like Ulysse Nardin's Freak, nothing can prepare you for the bonkers otherworldly charm of this years maddest release from MB&F. Modelled on space-age inspired '60s architecture, the HM11 is frankly incomprehensible at first, opening up a fascinating window into its intricate soul with each twist of the watch body itself. Take your pick between time-telling, a power reserve or a thermometer, each pod representing a different room in a spaceship-like pad (on a Mars colony perhaps?) CHF198,000. At mbandf.com
Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Monobalancier Huracan Sterrato
If you have a Lamborghini in your garage you will get the Roger Dubuis vibe, and if you drive a beige Leaf you need one of these as a life-affirming talisman. Dubuis stands for a bold stance in a world of innate classicism, and we’re instantly cheered up by this slightly subversive machine. Its flowing lines and mad intersection of F1-tech complexities with delicate detailing will baffle you. And if you think you see echoes of the Lambo air intakes in the skeletonized dial, you’re right. £59,500. At rogerdubuis.com
Greubel Forsey 24 Secondes Architecture
And now bonkers territory. There are few brands eliciting the dropped jaw, goggle-eyed fascination of Greubel Forsey, making it more wrist-art than a timepiece. The unobstructed view of the hand-finished, horological architecture within is akin to viewing a futurist cityscape from above. It’s no small watch by any stretch, but a 47mm case back and a 45.5mm bezel combined with ergonomic curvature, will make it sit sleeker than you’d think. Let’s simply proclaim it an investment in the future of watchmaking. $500,000. At greubelforsey.com
