What Watch Brand Is the Best? How to Choose

There is no single best watch brand, because the best one depends on your budget, your style and what you need the watch to do. What you can do is match well-known names to what they are best known for.

Well-known names and what they stand for

• Rolex: founded in London in 1905 as Wilsdorf and Davis and now based in Geneva. It has been owned by the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation since 1960, and it is known for the Oyster waterproof case (1926), the Perpetual self-winding rotor (1931) and the Datejust (1945).
• Omega: founded in 1848 by Louis Brandt and now part of the Swatch Group. Its Speedmaster is marketed as the first watch worn on the Moon, by Buzz Aldrin in 1969.
• Seiko: founded in Tokyo in 1881. It released the Astron in 1969, the first commercially available quartz wristwatch.
• Casio G-Shock: introduced in 1983, designed to survive knocks and drops.
• Tissot, Hamilton and Mido: accessible Swiss names from the Swatch Group.

How to choose

• Set a budget first, then compare brands within it.
• Decide whether you prefer a battery-powered quartz watch or a mechanical automatic.
• Think about the job: dress, diving, daily wear or rugged use.
• Try it on, as comfort and proportions matter more than the name on the dial.

Whichever brand you choose, buy from an authorised retailer so that the warranty is valid and the watch is genuine.

Browse the shop, explore the brands page, or find a present in The Gift Edit.