Executive Traveller October 2019

There’s a world of choice in non-Swiss watches

Not everyone can stump up the hefty premium for a genuine Swiss timepiece, but there are a plenty of quality alternatives.

By Norman Burns, October 22 2019

Carmaker Henry Ford once said of his Model T, “You can have any colour, as long as it’s black”. Similarly, it’s tempting to think a great mechanical wristwatch must be Swiss-made. But it’s not necessarily so.

From Germany to Great Britain and even in Australia, there are some quality mechanical watches out there.

There’s also a caveat: many brands include Swiss-made components (especially the movement), even if the watch itself is designed and constructed elsewhere.

Switzerland has tightened its rules regarding watches being labelled as ‘Swiss made’; among them, at least 60 percent of a watch’s production costs must be Swiss-based and at least 50 percent of the movement’s components must be Swiss. So before you plonk your hard-earned down, make sure you know exactly what you’re buying.

Why are Swiss watches often more expensive? Higher labour costs, the expense of extensive research and development, and a long lead time before prototype models actually become available to the consumer can make many Swiss watches more expensive than their non-Swiss rivals.

The upshot is if you do decide to purchase a quality non-Swiss watch, you’re likely to get decent bang for your buck, with the added bonus that the heart of the watch, the movement, may still be Swiss.

Crossing the border

German watchmaking has a long and rich history and since that country’s reunification in 1990, more and more brands have been carving out a piece of the action on the world scene.

Hanhart’s timepieces are a great place to start – the company uses a Hanhart-modified Swiss-produced movement (Valjoux 7753 automatic) in its very elegant Pioneer Mk1 chronograph ($3250).

The big red button (a Hanhart trademark) at two o’clock on the dial controls the chronograph functions (small seconds and 30-minutes counters) and the 40mm watch looks resplendent with its fluted stainless-steel rotating bezel. Water-resistant to 100m, this is a nice option for someone looking for a vintage-inspired dress watch that’s a little bit different.

Muhle-Glashutte’s origins are in ultra-precise marine chronometers but the family-owned company’s wristwatch canon covers sport, dress and specialised dive watches, and everything in between.

The Teutonia IV Moon Phase ($3600) is a masterpiece of understatement, with a nifty moon phase window at the centre of the dial. Powered by an automatic movement, the blued hour and seconds hands look spectacular against the brushed and polished stainless-steel dial.

Muhle-Glashutte’s Teutonia World Timer ($3800) features an outer ‘city ring’ that displays 24 world time zones, plus 42-hour power reserve, stop-second function and fast date correction – all very handy if you’re a regular international traveler.