Watch Data (general)

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Who are the main manufacturers and owners of the Swiss watchmaking industry?

The main manufacturers and owners of the Swiss watch industry are: as of 2015 –

Swatch Group (Swiss corporate group)
Richemont Group (Swiss conglomerate)
LVMH Group (French corporate group/conglomerate – owns several Swiss brands)
Franck Muller Group
Kering Group
Movado Group
Festina Group
The Independent Brands.

The Swiss watch industry is dominated by a few influential industrial giants, corporate groups and conglomerates. Nowadays, very few Swiss brands are independent.

The most dominant and influential of all the manufacturers, owners and corporate groups of the Swiss watchmaking industry is of course the famous Swatch Group.

In addition to owning and manufacturing the largest number of commercial wristwatch brands (Swiss and non-Swiss), Swatch Group also owns ETA and Valjoux – the largest manufacturers of Swiss watch movements. Approximately 80% of all movements manufactured in Switzerland are ETA movements – manufactured by ETA, which is owned by Swatch Group.

Since Swatch Group is so dominant in the Swiss watch industry, I think it’s a pretty fair and honest statement that the Swiss watch industry stands and falls with Swatch Group.

Swatch Group brands:

Breguet
Blancpain
Omega
Glashütte Original
Union Glashütte
Longines
Harry Winston
Jaquet Droz
León Hatot
Rado
Balmain
Tissot
Certina
Mido
Hamilton
Calvin Klein watches
Swatch
Flik Flak.

Swatch Group owns these movement manufacturers and production companies:

ETA. ETA makes 80% of all the movements used by Swiss watches and Swiss brands. ETA also owns Valjoux – another Swiss movement manufacturer. Since Swatch Group owns ETA, and since ETA owns Valjoux, it means ultimately that Swatch Group owns Valjoux as well.
Valjoux – owned by ETA/Swatch Group.
Nivarox – owned by Swatch Group. Nivarox is absolutely essential to the Swiss watchmaking industry since it makes escapements, hairsprings and balance wheels – tiny mechanical components that you can’t see with your eyes since these tiny mechanical components are hidden inside the encased movement. These tiny mechanical components power and regulate the movements of most Swiss luxury wristwatch brands – both the brands that are owned by Swatch Group and those that aren’t owned by Swatch Group. Even non-ETA movements, or movements that aren’t manufactured by Swatch Group, might actually contain movement technology from Nivarox. The Swiss watchmaking industry stands and falls with Nivarox.

Richemont Group brands:

A. Lange & Sohne (a prestigious German luxury watch brand – one of few non-Swiss luxury watch brands)
Baume Mercier
Cartier
IWC Schaffhausen
Jaeger LeCoultre
Montblanc
Panerai
Piaget
Roger Dubuis
Vacheron Constantin (a member of the “Holy Trinity” of watch brands – meaning the three most prestigious and expensive wristwatch brands).

LVMH Group brands:

Bulgari (Italian maker of jewelry and luxury watches)
Chaumet
Hublot
TAG Heuer
Zenith.

Franck Muller Group brands:

Franck Muller

Kering Group brands:

Boucheron
Girard-Perregaux
JeanRichard
Ulysse Nardin.

Movado Group brands:

Concord
Ebel
Movado.

Festina Group brands:

Perrelet.

The Independent Brands:

Audemars Piguet (a member of the “Holy Trinity” of luxury watch brands – meaning the three most prestigious and expensive watch brands)
Bell & Ross
Breitling
Oris
Patek Philippe (a member of the “Holy Trinity” of luxury watch brands – meaning the Three most prestigious and expensive watch brands)
Raymond Weil
Rolex (Rolex SA owns Tudor. Tudor is a subsidiary of Rolex)
Victorinox.

The independence of a Swiss (or non-Swiss) wristwatch brand doesn’t necessarily imply it’s an extreme luxury brand, and a brand being a subsidiary doesn’t necessarily imply it’s any less prestigious.

However, one of the many reasons why Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe and Rolex are so appreciated across the world is partly due to the fact that these brands are 100% independent (extreme) luxury wristwatch brands.

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The above information extracted from – http://swissdiverswatches.com/useful-information#link10

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