Top Reasons Why Swiss Watches Are the Essence of Craftsmanship

swiss watches vacheron constantin handmade watches craftsmanship

Swiss watches are the epitome of craftsmanship. Revered in the world of watches. More importantly, they cost a lot of money. Many people think this is all for show, but there are several reasons why the watches cost as much as they do. Let’s talk about this, and how they’re investments you really should consider making.

Expensive Materials

Swiss watches are all about being luxurious. It isn’t a surprise that they’re made from lavish materials. Everything in them is quality, all the way down to their strap. You’ll see gold plated cases, even some being solid gold. Best of all, real jewels decorate their dial. Some of the best Swiss brands like Piaget are fans of hour markers being diamonds and other expensive gems. Unlike sapphire and rubies, real emeralds are not used in gears but they’re commonplace on dials.

limelight gala watch by piaget - swiss watches
Limelight Gala watch, 32 mm. Case in 18K white gold set with 20 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 1.46 ct) and 22 sapphires (approx. 4.01 cts). White mother-of-pearl dial. Buckle set with 15 brilliant-cut diamonds (approx. 0.06 ct). Piaget 690P quartz movement. Limited edition of 88 individually numbered timepieces.

High-Quality

People not only buy Swiss watches due to their prestige but also due to the care that goes into their production. Every piece is made by hand, following century-old practices. Some Swiss brands began as far back as the 1700s, like Blancpain.

As everything is done by hand, each step is done thoroughly and with great attention to detail. Not only are flashy materials used, but all materials are also of the highest quality. This result, Swiss watches last lifetimes!

Vacheron Constantin handmade craftsmanship
Vacheron Constantin handmade craftsmanship


Swiss Timepieces Are The Gold-Standard

The world regards Switzerland as the leading producer of watches, so a high standard is always set. To succeed in the industry, brands from the region can’t skimp on things like their Japanese counterparts. Speaking of their Japanese counterparts, their automatic watches especially don’t last long. We’ll be discussing more on these below, but know that they are very intricate, so if you don’t do a thorough job, they won’t work well.

Any watch enthusiast would tell you that Grand Seikos cost an arm and a leg, but they are known to be very high-quality. We definitely think Seiko’s Grand Seiko line is the exception to the rule.

They Have History

The watches have a cult following. They’ve been around for centuries and consist of some of the most expensive pieces in our day and age. Many inventions in the watch world have come out of the country. If your timepiece comes with a perpetual calendar or water resistance, it’s a result of Switzerland. If you didn’t know, horology is a huge deal in the watch world. Watch snobs obsess over Swiss pieces due to the centuries of watch-making behind them. This keeps pushing the price of the timepieces up, making them so sort after.

blancpain craftsmanship swiss watches
“Blancpain upholds the great traditions and expertise of haute horlogerie. Respect for this heritage and the traditional crafts influences everything that we undertake. But this does not mean that we are entrenched in the past. Quite the opposite: innovation is our tradition.”

Lower Quantities

Hopefully, you know how supply-demand works, because Swiss brands don’t produce that many pieces. They produce a few, which is what sports car manufacturers do. This is a marketing tactic that makes the goods being sold take on a luxurious appeal. Another reason so few Swiss watches are made is due to the effort that goes into producing them. Patek Philippe is a major name in Switzerland’s watch industry. Their pieces take years to create.


Iconic Watches That Never Go Out of Style


They Are Hard to Purchase

Not only are there fewer Swiss models, but physically getting a hold of a Swiss watch is a challenge. They are not freely available as they are sold in only very high-end stores. They may not even be sold at stores, but exclusively at a brand’s outlet. Unfortunately, they might not have any outlets near you. Unlike Japanese watches, it’s also hard to find swiss ones sold online. Although it will be interesting to see how the digital age of fashion due to COVID-19 changes this.

They Are Mostly Mechanical

You just need to know how mechanical watches work! They are timepieces that come with gears, working as you wind them. When you think of a Swiss watch, you’re probably thinking of a mechanical one – the region is known to do them the best.

There’s a type of mechanical watch called “automatics”. They also have gears in them, but they move with you. Whenever you move your arm, you’re passing kinetic energy to wind their gears. Watch enthusiasts are major fans of the watch type and since Swiss watches produce an overwhelming amount of them, they are even more respected.

They Have Jewels

Jewels are commonplace in mechanical pieces. Since a major chunk of Swiss watches is mechanical, they place the most jewels in them. The jewels are (mostly) synthetic, but you’ll see over 30 in place. This is impressive considering that 17 is the standard. When you realize why watches need jewels, you’ll realize that Swiss watches having so many of them makes them extra great.

Piaget watch showing 30 jewels
(Photo by Adam Dubilo via Pexels)
Piaget watch showing 30 jewels
(Photo by Adam Dubilo via Pexels)

The gears in a watch can’t be lubricated easily. Jewels are placed to prevent them from rubbing against each other. The more jewels present, the smoother a watch will run. The timepiece will also be more reliable, like most Swiss pieces.

Synthetic jewels are widely used. However, Swiss watches are all about living it up. A few watchmakers from the region put real gems in their gears. You’ll usually see Ruby or Sapphire used.

They Are Investments

Not many people know this, but watches can be investments. Over time, their value appreciates like stocks. However, this does not go for all watches. It is only true for expensive pieces, which are the vast majority of Swiss brands available. Hopefully, you know what the Rolex Daytona is because overtime, its price has sky-rocketed. It’s what brought Rolex to the limelight.

Vintage Rolex Daytona
Vintage Rolex Daytona
(Photo by Robert PST)

Summing It Up

You don’t have to be a watch expert to know that Swiss watches are expensive. The majority of the world’s luxury watchmakers are from the region.

Their pieces are luxurious but are also well-made. They are the pinnacles of craftsmanship as everything is handmade. This allows details to be perfected and reliability to be high. What’s more, watches from the country are made from high-quality materials. A lot of them have precious gems and metals used. This is why timepieces from Switzerland are investments. They can be treated like stocks, having their price go up and down.


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