Why are Swiss watches more popular than German watches?

[Lightsped]

Everyone (including many non-watch people) knows that Rolex, Tudor, and Omega are all nice watches. Other Swiss brands too.

But most people (probably quite a few here) have probably never heard of many German brands. Like Hanhart, Sinn, Nomos, etc....

[Dan Pierce]

Just in sheer numbers Swiss watches are more popular but I love my Sinn and there are other German brands I'd be proud to own.
dP

[GB-man]

Because of Rolex and patek.

[HL65]

Originally Posted by GB-man

Because of Rolex and patek.

And even before them Vacheron and Breguet.

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by HL65

And even before them Vacheron and Breguet.

Undoubtedly Ken. I was more commenting on the marketing prowess of brands like Rolex that have engrained the Swiss Made signature of quality into consumers heads.

Wilsdorf - German, Patek - polish, breguet - French

They made their homes in Switzerland because that’s where it made the most sense to for access to skilled labor I gather. Cottage industry etc etc

Fun fact which I’d bet you know… Jean Marc Vacheron himself was born in Geneva. So if you’re really about that Swiss life! Grab a VC.

[enjoythemusic]

Why is German bier considered better than Swiss beer?

[Tools]

The Swiss watch industry has gone to great lengths to market their country products and see Swiss watches as a source of pride.

To say that one is better than another at the top tiers is a subjective call. Why leave out other great manufacturers such as Seiko?

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Why is German bier considered better than Swiss beer?

I’ll raise you a 🇨🇭 block of cheese

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by brandrea

I’ll raise you a ���� block of cheese

I'll see your CH cheese and raise with a Wagyu Steak. Grand Seiko is quite nice, too

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The real question may be, do the Swiss have some 'advantage' that no other country / countrymen can match or exceed?

Well, do they in 2025? Is human talent, as it pertains to horology, only limited to the Swiss / who the Swiss hire?

Times they are a-changin'.

Thank God we all know the 1960s 'Holy Trinity' marketing campaign is now virtually worthless other than for the Old Grandfathers as a memory. It could be argued that the old Trinity campaign stagnated horology. Today's young watchmakers and youthful enthusiasts are seeing far more advances and interesting horology than the Old School may still be clinging on to. Time and design have both moved forward.

imho ymmv

PS: Yes let us celebrate the history of horology, and also welcome fresh ideas and more youthful exuberance.

PPS: Popular with whom? Swatch sells a heck of a lot of watches.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

I'll see your cheese and raise with a Wagyu Steak. Grand Seiko is quite nice, too

_____________
------------------

The real question may be, do the Swiss have some 'advantage' that no other country / countrymen can match or exceed?

Well, do that in 2025? Is human talent, as it pertains to horology, only limited to the Swiss / who the Swiss hire?

Times they are a-changin'.

Thank God we all know the 1960s 'Holy Trinity' marketing campaign is now virtually worthless other than for the Old Grandfathers as a memory. It could be argued that the old Trinity campaign stagnated horology. Today's young watchmakers and youthful enthusiasts are seeing far more advances and interesting horology than the Old School may still be clinging on to. Time and design have both moved forward.

imho ymmv

PS: Yes let us celebrate the history of horology, and also welcome fresh ideas and more youthful exuberance.

I’d raise you a dolup of ���� maple syrup, but I don’t share that stuff

[Easy E]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

I'll see your CH cheese and raise with a Wagyu Steak. Grand Seiko is quite nice, too

While geographically accurate, there is no such thing as a Wagyu watch. Swiss watch, yes, wagyu , no. Also, no one ever says "hey, check out my cool Canadian Watch (no offense Marathon). Yet, everyone will gather round, gather round for a pile of Canadian Bacon and bottle of Canadian whiskey. I therefore submit this postulate, If you have your own cheese you have more popular watches. Of course, it goes without saying, American cheese does not apply because #notrealcheese. Just consider this as a possibility.

[Slackergirl]

Because not enough people get to see a A Lange Sohne up close

[Ichiran]

There are many talented watchmakers from France too, like Abraham-Louis Breguet, FP Journe, Vianney Halter, Ferdinand Berthoud, Jean-Baptiste Viot, and the younger ones like Théo Auffret, Remy Cools, Sylvain Pinaud, Florent Lecomte, etc.

[Ichiran]

Rolex is founded by a German and English in London :)

[Old Expat Beast]

British watches were all the rage at one time.

[Ichiran]

+ George Daniels' Coaxial Escapement.

[tigerpac]

Design.

[Lightsped]

There are quite a few very old German watch manufacturers - some with very interesting design elements and high build quality. Just not sure why they have never caught on to become noticed by watch people.

[Bazil]

Originally Posted by Lightsped

There are quite a few very old German watch manufacturers - some with very interesting design elements and high build quality. Just not sure why they have never caught on to become noticed by watch people.

Trust me there are plenty Lange and Glashütte watches I would buy/wear … , can easily spread the thread further afield and mention English watchmakers, not many but certainly some quality over quantity … Garrick / Christopher Ward , Roger Smith …

[GB-man]

I think a big part of the equation is the aftermath of WW2 and the fixed costs and skilled labor associated with watchmaking. The Swiss had the advantage in the early years of post war marketing at least in the United States.

[1William]

Marketing and emphasis. The Swiss have focused on watch manufacturing and while the Germans do it well, they also have many other goods and services they push forward. The automobile industry comes to mind first.

[Pw92676]

Marketing is a huge deal. Proportionally far more Swiss luxury brands than from elsewhere. And maybe other bias plays a part.

Personally, I enjoy ALS releases but don’t have a desire to own one. If I did buy a German brand, it would probably be a less costly brand just to throw into a collection.

[SoylentGreenChi]

Usual factors in business and economic history - mixture of talented/driven individuals, government and business association policy (including immigration, marketing, focus), and luck. David Landes’ A Revolution in Time provides a solid account, highly recommend: https://www.amazon.com/Revolution-Ti.../dp/0674002822

The rising visibility of German watches outside of Germany is one of the fascinating stories in the industry (IMHO) of the past thirty years. It’s admirable what Lange accomplished in the wake of the Cold War.

[enjoythemusic]

Mmmmmm, real Maple syrup (darker side pls).

You win.


When are ya tappin' your trees? :)

[enjoythemusic]

Btw, let's set the Wayback machine to 120 years ago.

America... Lancaster, PA to be exact.

[enjoythemusic]

Ahhh, great points Easy E!

Plus there's nothing better than Napa Valley Champaign. Though Australian Champaign is said to be quite good too.

[Andad]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Ahhh, great points Easy E!

Plus there's nothing better than Napa Valley Champaign. Though Australian Champaign is said to be quite good too.

Australia is legally prohibited from labelling their sparkling wine as "Champagne” Steven.

Could they call it Champaign?

Prosecco will be next.

[enjoythemusic]

Originally Posted by Andad

Australia is legally prohibited from labelling their sparkling wine as "Champagne” Steven.

Sounds like a scam to me, kinda sorta akin to 'Swiss Made' ??? There are very impressive Champaigns made from grapes sourced within many regions all around the world.

Why is it only a single region is 'allowed' to be called Champaign? Marketing scam, perhaps?

That's kinda my point, buying because it is called 'Champaign' is kinda sorta a scam as there are the same, dare we say perhaps even better, Champaign products from non-France regions

[Tools]

Champagne is made in the Champagne region of France using a specific set of criteria and standards.

Anything else is Sparkling Wine.

[Gebbeth]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Sounds like a scam to me, kinda sorta akin to 'Swiss Made' ??? There are very impressive Champaigns made from grapes sourced within many regions all around the world.

Why is it only a single region is 'allowed' to be called Champaign? Marketing scam, perhaps?

That's kinda my point, buying because it is called 'Champaign' is kinda sorta a scam as there are the same, dare we say perhaps even better, Champaign products from non-France regions

The Champagne region has trademarked its usage and there have been international trade agreements that prohibit products to be labelled in that way unless it came from that region.

It's the same for Napa wines, or Wisconsin cheese, or CA raisins.

The equivalent would be something like, we sometime colloquially refer to tissue paper as Kleenex or a copy as a Xerox copy. However, Canon could not refer to copying as Xerox copying, or another brand of tissue paper selling their product as Kleenex. That would be verboten.