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Whether you’re a watch noob or a seasoned veteran, the idea of the ‘Big Three’ has been omnipresent throughout watch culture. But are the ‘Big Three’ as definitive as everyone says they are?

Dipping your toes into the world of horology, you might’ve heard some online chatter about a so-called ‘Big Three.’ While it’s quite a general term, in the industry it refers to a trio of watchmaking giants. These three brands represent the pinnacle of all watchmaking craftsmanship, heritage, and innovation. In short, the Big Three are ostensibly the gold standard of horology all over the world.

It’s definitely a grand concept — all good things come in threes, after all — but I hold some reservations with the term. While there’s a consensus that the ‘Big Three’ represent the very best of the watch world, I believe that this title has been rooted in long-standing bias, and not reflective of the modern watch landscape. All three brands come from Switzerland, all lean heavily on heritage and legacy rather than technological or cultural relevance, and all operate at price points far beyond even most luxury buyers, limiting their overall impact on the market.

Don’t get me wrong, though: the level of horological excellence these brands achieve is undeniable, and the almost obsessive level of attention to detail absolutely justifies their status within the upper echelons of watchmaking. It’s also not entirely the brands’ fault, as the term sprang up during the height of the Quartz Crisis. Nowadays, however, reducing the entire industry to just these three names feels increasingly disingenuous, especially when so many other brands and countries are also pushing boundaries in exciting and meaningful ways.

In that spirit, I’ve decided to explore three different interpretations of what the Big Three could mean today. Whether it be in this traditional sense, the literal commercial sense, or in the global sense, allow me to introduce you to these perspectives to show you how the term has evolved in the modern watch world.

The Traditional Big Three

As alluded to above, the traditional Big Three are comprised of three Swiss brands: Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, and Vacheron Constantin. Staunch figures in the mechanical watchmaking scene, they have all maintained the highest standards of horology for centuries. An interesting commonality they share is that all three brands were founded or headed by two individuals, who would go on to lend their respective surnames to the brand – Mr. Patek and Mr. Philippe would found Patek Philippe, and so on.

As stated before, these three brands were first referred to as the ‘Big Three’ all the way back in the 1970s. This was a turbulent time for the mechanical watch industry, as the height of the Quartz Crisis (or the invention of cheap, accurate battery watches) would prompt a major perspective shift on the purpose of a timepiece.

There’s no one particular person that coined the term, nor was there a consensus panel that decided which brands were in the Big Three. Yet, given their combined heritage and exceptional craftsmanship, the unification of these three brands under one banner was instrumental in keeping mechanical wristwatches technologically and culturally relevant at the time.

Patek Philippe

Founded in 1839 by Antoni Patek and Adrien Philippe, the obsessive eye for detail the brand has can be perfectly described in an analogy I once heard: if Patek Philippe made tables instead of watches, they wouldn’t just carve the legs and varnish the top. They’d ensure the underside, the screws, and even the joints — parts you’d never normally see — were just as beautifully polished and decorated as everything else.

Since 1932, the company has been owned and operated by the Stern family, with Thierry Stern currently serving as President. Collections you might know them for include the Nautilus, Aquanaut, Calatrava, Cubitus, and Grand Complications — frequently spotted on the wrists of business moguls, royals, and A-listers alike. At one point, Patek Philippe also held the record for the most expensive watch ever sold at auction, with one of their Grandmaster Chime timepieces (pictured above) leaving the auction house for an eye-watering US$31 million.

Audemars Piguet

Audemars Piguet was founded in 1875 by Jules Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet. Unlike Patek Philippe’s purist approach, Audemars Piguet (or AP, for short) is known for combining top-tier watchmaking with bold, avant-garde, and often audacious design. Among the Big Three, AP is the brand most willing to embrace modernity, pushing into pop culture and aligning with daring personalities like John Mayer and Travis Scott.

With nearly 150 years of horological experience, Audemars Piguet has racked up numerous achievements that often go underappreciated. For instance, they created the first-ever minute repeating wristwatch in 1892 and produced the first skeletonized watch in 1934. But their defining moment came in 1972 with the launch of the Royal Oak — a Gérald Genta-designed masterpiece that pioneered the integrated bracelet sports watch genre and remains AP’s most iconic collection. Still independently family-owned, the brand includes fourth-generation members Jasmine and Olivier Audemars, with Ilaria Resta now serving as CEO.

Vacheron Constantin

Unlike the other two brands part of this Big Three, it wasn’t founded as a partnership — Jean-Marc Vacheron established the brand in 1755, with François Constantin joining decades later. That makes Vacheron Constantin not only the oldest of the trio but also the world’s longest continuously operating watchmaker. In plain terms, they’ve been around through the American and French Revolutions, the Napoleonic Wars, both World Wars, six major economic crises, and countless scientific and cultural milestones — without ever stopping production.

This deep heritage makes Vacheron Constantin a favourite among royalty and refined collectors alike, from Princess Diana to Brad Pitt. Today, they’re best known for the Overseas, Patrimony, and FiftySix collections. But it’s their Historiques line — featuring remastered icons like the American 1921 and the 222 — that often wins hearts among enthusiasts. For their 270th anniversary, the Richemont-owned brand unveiled their most ambitious creation yet: the Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Solaria Ultra Grand Complication, now holding the record as the most complicated wristwatch ever made.

The Commercial Big Three

Unlike the traditional Big Three, the commercial interpretation is significantly easier to identify and explain. This is large in part thanks to an annual analysis undertaken by watch brand consultancy LuxeConsult and multinational investment financial services company Morgan Stanley. In their analysis, they highlight the top fifty highest-grossing watch brands of each year per million Swiss Franc (CHF), which is typically close to double the Aussie dollar (AUD$/AU$). However, the three most commercially successful brands are all household names, so they require very little introduction – even if you have been living under a rock!

Rolex

Of course, the most significant of the three brands is Rolex, who according to the annual report by LuxeConsult and Morgan Stanley raked in a whopping CHF 10.5 billion in 2024. Given the universal popularity of the British-born Swiss brand, and the fact that the company name has practically become synonymous with the word ‘watch,’ it should hardly be surprising that the Crown is king.

However, you may not know exactly how big the disparity is; Between Rolex and their closest competitor Cartier, there is a CHF 7.4 billion difference in annual revenue. While this doesn’t downplay the incredible contributions of Cartier – the Parisian jeweller-watchmaker is also cemented as a legendary brand of the industry – the dominance of Rolex in the watch industry is palpable, owning approximately 32% of the market share alone.

Cartier

The other two brands within this Big Three, Cartier and Omega, are perhaps a greater reflection of the competition that exists outside of Rolex’s massive shadow – financially, horologically, and culturally. Founded in 1847 by Louis-François Cartier, Cartier’s repertoire began in jewellery and eventually shifted to watch manufacturing during the turn of the 20th century, with their combined skills leading to an annual revenue of CHF 3.1 billion. Their iconic collections, such as the Tank, Santos, and Crash, having been spotted on many public figures throughout the years, from Muhammad Ali to Tyler, the Creator.

Omega

Swiss brand Omega have also made a significant name for themselves as the world’s third-highest grossing watchmaker, founded in 1848 by Louis Brandt in Biel/Bienne. Fostering a high standard of precision timekeeping since their conception, Omega’s 177 years in the industry has seen them become the official timekeepers of fascinating cultural phenomena, such as the Olympic Games and their frequent appearance on the wrist of fictional British spy James Bond.

While much of their catalogue – including the Seamaster, the Constellation, and the De Ville lines – have garnered worldwide positive reception, their most popular claim to fame is with their iconic Speedmaster collection. This became the first mechanical watch hand-picked by NASA to assist astronauts in space, even accompanying Michael Collins, Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, and Neil Armstrong on the first-ever Moon landing. The Speedmaster would even save lives when used by the crew of the ill-fated Apollo 13 expedition. Using the watch to time a fourteen-second fuel burn, the precision of the Speedmaster ensured that their timing remained accurate, allowing returning Apollo 13 to Earth unharmed.

The Global Big Three

As you might see, the common theme across all six brands I just mentioned is that almost all of them are Swiss. However, as I previously mentioned, there are far more incredible brands and manufacturers that exist beyond the cantons of Switzerland. The common consensus, globally speaking, is that the three nations responsible for the very best of horology are Switzerland (unsurprisingly), followed by Germany and Japan.

This is both from a purely subjective horological standpoint, as per the traditional Big Three, and from a literal, objective standpoint as seen from the commercial Big Three. for example, while Switzerland still dominates in the watch industry – raking in CHF 25.9 billion in 2024 according to LuxeConsult and Morgan Stanley – German and Japanese watchmaking have similarly been on the rise. In that respect, I find that this iteration of the Big Three is the most reflective of the modern watch industry.

Japan

In that respect, you may already be familiar with the calibre of Japanese watchmaking. Brands like CASIO, Seiko, and Citizen are major players in the global watch industry, with their accessible price points enabling widespread adoption of their timepieces. Japanese innovations — such as the iconic SKX, the industry-defining Eco-Drive movement, and the virtually indestructible G-SHOCK collection — have helped shape this remarkable subgenre of horology.

At the higher end, brands like Grand Seiko and Credor, along with independents such as Hajime Asaoka and Naoya Hida & Co., have consistently operated at a level that has made even the Swiss take notice. This potent mix of technical excellence and broad appeal has fuelled the Japanese watch industry’s rise, reaching a valuation of US$4.83 billion in 2024, according to US-Indian market research firm Renub Research — with projections set to climb to US$7.23 billion by 2033.

Germany

While Switzerland is historically a politically neutral nation, that hasn’t stopped its German neighbours from waging a relentless horological war on all fronts. Every year, German watch brands launch a wave of remarkable timepieces across all price points that challenge the Swiss on every front. As a result, the German watch industry has reached a valuation of US$4.14 billion, according to Irish market research firm Research and Markets — with projections set to hit US$6.19 billion by 2033.

Though German watchmaking has roots in various regions — such as Frankfurt-based Sinn and Dresden’s Lang & Heyne — it is the small town of Glashütte that stands out as the epicenter of German horology. This town is home to many of the country’s most revered watchmakers, including Glashütte Original and A. Lange & Söhne, both of which are capable of producing haute horlogerie pieces at a level equal to, and sometimes exceeding, that of their Swiss counterparts.

Final Thoughts

Debates over the so-called ‘Big Three’ have been circulating in the watch community for as long as I can remember. At this point, it’s practically unavoidable — goodness knows I’ve heard it more times than I can count, and I’ve lost track of how many internet flame wars I’ve been dragged into over it. Yet, for all the discourse, the term itself has rarely been re-examined or updated since its inception. It now feels almost as anachronistic as the wristwatch itself: outdated in some ways, but still culturally relevant and widely used.

But if mechanical horology can continue to thrive in today’s modern landscape, then surely it’s high time we start redefining the industry as a whole. The watch world has never been more diverse or more accessible, and it’s no longer fair — or accurate — to confine its identity to just three legacy brands. Today, excellence in watchmaking comes from all corners of the globe, across a wide spectrum of styles, philosophies, and price points. It’s time we celebrate that — not just in our own separate niches, clubs or subgenres, but as a united watch community.

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