10 Luxury Watch Brands for Men & Ladies: Most Under $500, Some Under $2000

Eugene P | February 28, 2018 | Gifts for Him | No Comments

[Last updated: September 3, 2018]

Ever since our first ranking of online watch stores went live, we have sold hundreds of luxury watches. Reviewing the sales details, we felt that it isn’t right for us to sit on all this data, doing nothing with it. So, we’ve decided to turn what we see into something that you could use. This is how this list was born.

We pulled the data on all the watches that we sold to date, segmented out the luxury brands, and ranked them by the number of timepieces sold. Being cognizant of the fact that budgets differ, we also separated the more expensive watch brands from the more affordable ones. The result of our analysis may be seen below. We hope that this list will help you in your search for the perfect watch to buy. It is to be taken as a ranking – based on the brand’s popularity expressed in the number of orders that we were able to generate.

Top Watch Brands Under $500:

1. Tissot – a classic Swiss brand making and selling affordable luxury timepieces since 1853. About a third of their models are priced under $250, some 45% will cost you between $250 and $500, and very rarely would you pay more than $1000 for a Tissot (complex chronographs and 18kt gold watches). In fact, over 81% of the Tissots that we have seen (and sold) cost less than $500. A good selection is offered here and the sale section is worth a peek as well.

2. Citizen – a renowned Japanese watch maker that manufactures beautiful timepieces to match virtually any outfit and every lifestyle. More than 97% of Citizen watches that we’ve sold a priced under (or way under) $500. There are plenty of models available at Macy’s, Belk, as well as Jomashop.

3. Raymond Weil – a Genève-based Swiss watchmaker which may not have as long of a history (being founded only in 1976) but they already earned themselves a stellar reputation among consumers – especially those who are into high-quality quartz movement. They have wristwatches priced from a couple hundred bucks to thousands (gold-plated, with diamonds, mother-of-pearl dials, and other “bells and whistles”). Decent selections of Raymond Weil watches may be found on Ashford, Overstock, and here.

4. Movado – easily distinguishable by their simple design (where the watch’s dial has a solitary dot at 12 o’clock), Movado was founded in Switzerland nearly 140 years ago. By the way, should you wonder, that dot on the dial stands for the sun at high noon; and no, not all their wristwatches look like that. Most of their watches are priced under the $500, and you may view hundreds of them at Macy’s and nearly a thousand at Jomashop.

5. Victorinox – a brand traditionally associated with the infamous Swiss Army Knife (which is still the core product of Victorinox) also stands for great Swiss watches. Priced just right, they make great gifts: for men and ladies alike. Walmart carries a vast selection of these, as well as Princeton Watches who are an authorized dealer for Victorinox in the USA.

6. Hamilton – a brand that manages to “combine the American spirit with the unrivaled precision of the latest Swiss movements and technology.” The vast majority of these classy wristwatches are automatic, some quartz, and very seldomly will you find a hand-wind models (though they do exist). Priced right around $500, there are plenty of variations to choose from. We find Jomashop’s selection of Hamiltons especially comprehensive, though Ashford carries quite a few of these too.

Top Watch Brands Under $2,000:

7. TAG Heuer – a Swiss company, founded in 1860, and focused on designing, manufacturing, and marketing luxury watches that we’re sure you’ve heard plenty about. To our taste, TAG Heuer’s timepieces are more on the sporty side, but this is not to say that their models can’t be worn as dress watches or with more formal outfits. Many of their watches and chronographs fall into the $900 to $2,000 price range, which is why they are on this list. They are first on the list of the “brands under $2,000” because based on our sales, they are an indisputable leader. Check out TAG Heuer at Jomashop.

8. Longines – the oldest brand on our list! Founded in 1832 (and now owned by the Swatch Group), Longines has been known for making great watches for men and ladies for nearly 200 years. Our analysis shows that way over half of their models are priced under $2,000. No surprise why they scored second on the respective ranking. You can browse them here.

9. Omega – a Swiss luxury company with a great history (from becoming the official timepieces of UK’s Royal Flying Corps and US Army since 1917-1918 to being “the official timekeeper” of the Olympic Games), they produce really fine watches. But, as they say, it’s “better to see something once than to hear about it a thousand times.” So, take a look at what’s available here.

10. Tudor – also a Switzerland-based brand which was incorporated in 1926 as a more affordable alternative to Rolex. They even called it “Rolex’s little sister” once. Check what fits your budget here.

We do realize that the above list is, by no means, comprehensive. After all, in Switzerland alone, there are 64 luxury brand companies making watches. So, while we hope you’ll find the above ranking of help, we welcome your comments and contributions too. If you have any, please do submit them using the “Comments” area under this post.