Q. Who is the most famous watchmaker of all time?

[hk45ca]

Hi,
I'm surprised nobody mentionned Rolex
:shock:
Talking about watches, it's the first name that comes to mind, especially for non watch afficionados.

Then, of course, once you go into the history or technology, Rolex is far behind brands like Breguet (first Tourbillon ever) or Patek (most expensive watches ever).
It seems not a lot of people know that IWC was part of the CEH consortium which developed the world's first quartz watch (the Beta 21) in 1967 and released its own first quartz watch at the 1969 Basel fair. From this point of view they played a HUGE role in the change of the watch industry.

there is absolutely no question that hans wilsdorf is the most famous watch maker in the world. there is no other brand of luxury watch that has reached even 1/4 of the brand recognition of rolex and that my friends is fame.

i can find people in new york city that have no clue what a breguet is. you go deep into the amozon and everybody knows what a rolex is.

 

[coop]

In your opinion (which means all answers are correct) who is the most famous watchmaker of all time... and why?

Mine is Breguet. He was the inventor of the most significant discoveries in the watch industry: Tourbillon escapement, Perpetual calendar, Shockproofing, Over-coil hairspring, and I'm sure more that I have not thought of.

+1

@HK-It is amazing how Rolex is so well know isnt it?

 

[Spboudart]

As to the guy who said Fossil, well I guess he has a point: wouldn't both Breguet and Harrison be fossils by now? :lol:

lol

 

[hk45ca]

In your opinion (which means all answers are correct) who is the most famous watchmaker of all time... and why?

Mine is Breguet. He was the inventor of the most significant discoveries in the watch industry: Tourbillon escapement, Perpetual calendar, Shockproofing, Over-coil hairspring, and I'm sure more that I have not thought of.

+1

@HK-It is amazing how Rolex is so well know isnt it?

they defiantly understand marketing and large scale exclusivity, it's amazing. he just made up the name rolex so it would be easily pronounced in all languages. pretty smart guy.

 

[horologie_unitas]

i dare to say ROLEX is the most well known and demanded watch......for people that wanna make a statement....( look, i have a Rolex ! )
but dont know anything about watches.

i swear to god, by my fathers grave, i had a guy say to me ( he is wearing a golden Rolex ) and we talk about watches, he says:

WHATS PISSING ME OF ABOUT MY ROLEX, IF I DONT WEAR IT FOR 2 DAYS OR SO, THE BATTERY IS EMPTY, AND I HAVE TO WEAR IT AGAIN TO CHARGE THE BATTERY.


famous watchmaker......? lets not forget HERR Ferdinand LANGE and his sons......

 

[takashi]

I was going to mention about Lange und Söhne but still it is below reach of the Patek Philippe hall of fame (took most spots of most expensive watches on earth).

 

[Neuuubeh]

Most famous "watch-maker" - Rolex. Noone else comes even close to the recognition this brand has.
The genius - Breguet.



I dont see what price has to do with this - surely a solid rhodium watch covered with big natural green diamonds will be more expensive than a fairly complicated piece not sporting such expensive bling. Say a tourbillon (even a double one...), or repeater or something similar. Which is the finer example of watchmaking tho?

 

[takashi]

Ok... Let us up the ante to most complicated watches... It's also a Patek.

 

[frenzalrhomb]

Everyone spouting Rolex is probably correct the original question is who is the most FAMOUS. Not who is the best.

 

[takashi]

Oh well... Then I have to concede it's indeed Rolex.

 

[horologie_unitas]

Vacheron has built some very complicated pocket watches.....

 

[Pix]

WHATS PISSING ME OF ABOUT MY ROLEX, IF I DONT WEAR IT FOR 2 DAYS OR SO, THE BATTERY IS EMPTY, AND I HAVE TO WEAR IT AGAIN TO CHARGE THE BATTERY.

:lol:
Tell him it's broken and you can get him a quartz version which holds 1-2 years as a replacement.
Sometimes I'm happy I'm buying reps and can't afford a Rolex : in the end, do the gen owners really appreciate what they have on their wrist ? :?

 

[seanf]

Ok... Let us up the ante to most complicated watches... It's also a Patek.

Actually, if we're going with the most complicated, I'd have to go with Vacheron Constantin. In the last ten years, in particular, they really have spent huge amounts of time and money in research and development of entirely new movements the likes of which have never previously been seen. Of course, you pay for it. Most of the complicated VCs retail for $500,000 and above.

 

[ThreadLocker]

Read the question completely, and then answer.

Most famous brand would be Rolex, but I do not see brand in the question.

Most famous watchmaker; which is in the question, leads me to agree with the OP!

 

[hk45ca]

Read the question completely, and then answer.

Most famous brand would be Rolex, but I do not see brand in the question.

Most famous watchmaker; which is in the question, leads me to agree with the OP!

i did, that's why i said hans wilsdorf.

 

[zuescotton]

He might not have made watches.. But, the biggest contributer for watches I think was Galileo. I couldn't think of who it was for days. It has been bothering me. But, I finally remembered. He was the first to notice that something that swings. Takes the same time to swing no matter the distance. He actually paid someone to count the swings in his time. Making the first constant measurement of time. Technically a watch/clock.

and I must add, he is fairly famous almost every person who graduated elementary school, or primary for the rest of the world knows of him.

 

[cazIRL]

It's gotta be fakemaster, no? 8)

 

[brtelec]

I would say this is the most complicated watch in the world. At 1.3 million dollars it is slightly more expensive than the top of the line, Patek Grand complication.