"Patek Philippe & Co. was founded in 1851 in Geneva and the Vallee de Joux by Antoni Patek and Adrian Philippe. It is considered by many experts as one of the most prestigious watch brands in the world. And counts Pope Pius IX, Queen Victoria, Victor Emanual III of Italy and Christian IX of Denmark as past owners of a Patek Philippe watch."
Read More
"Rolex was founded by Alfred Davis and his brother-in-law Hans Wilsdorf in London England in 1905. In 1919 the pair moved Rolex to its base where it stands today in Geneva, Switzerland. They relocated to Switzerland due to the wartime taxes levied on luxury imports as well as the export duties on the silver and gold used in the watchcases, which was driving costs too high. The brand name Rolex was said to be Wilsdorf's idea, as he wanted an easy to pronounce name and he believed that Rolex was onomatopoeic, sounding like a watch being wound. With it being easily pronounceable in many languages and short enough to fit on the face of a watch, and so the brand name was born."
"Giovanni Panerai founded Officine Panerai in Florence Italy in 1860. By the 1900 under his grandson’s leadership the brand had become the official supplier to the Royal Italian Navy the Regia Marina, supplying them with watches and precision instruments. These watches were used for underwater missions so they had to be water and shock resistant. At the time Panerai watches consisted of a case, which was designed by Rolex, and the movements engineered by the Swiss manufacturer Cortebert."
"The International Watch Co. also known as IWC is based in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. An American watchmaker, Florentine Ariosto Jones founded the company in 1868. IWC stand out as they are based in eastern Switzerland instead of the west, were most of the other watchmakers are based. IWC has a company motto of Probus Scafusia meaning good, solid craftsmanship from Schaffhausen, and in 1903 became their official motto."
Read More