MB&F
MB&F, or Maximilian Büsser & Friends, is a Swiss creative lab and independent watch brand founded in 2005 that specializes in avant-garde “Horological Machines” and “Legacy Machines.” Eschewing traditional watch design, the brand operates as a collective, collaborating with independent artisans and engineers to produce three-dimensional kinetic sculptures that tell time. Their Horological Machine (HM) series, such as the space-inspired HM6 “Space Pirate” and the automotive-themed HM5, explores futuristic and unconventional forms, while the Legacy Machine (LM) collection reinterprets 19th-century watchmaking traditions with prominent, suspended balance wheels, notably seen in the LM Perpetual and the LM Sequential EVO. Beyond wristwatches, MB&F is also known for its “Co-creations,” which include elaborate mechanical clocks and music boxes developed alongside specialist manufacturers like L’Epée 1839 and Reuge.
Louis Vuitton
Louis Vuitton entered the horological landscape in 1988 with the Gae Aulenti-designed Monterey, but the brand significantly established its watchmaking identity in 2002 with the launch of the Tambour. Characterized by a distinctive drum-shaped case with “Louis Vuitton” engraved around the edge, the Tambour serves as the maison’s flagship collection, encompassing a range from three-hand automatics and chronographs to high-horology complications like the Spin Time and flying tourbillons. The brand’s technical capabilities were further elevated through the acquisition of the specialist workshop La Fabrique du Temps, which develops exclusive in-house movements such as the LFT023. Beyond the Tambour, key collections include the travel-inspired Escale, often featuring world-time functions and artisanal hand-painted dials, and the Voyager, which focuses on a more architectural and refined design language. The maison also maintains a presence in the luxury connected-watch segment with the Tambour Horizon series, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern digital functionality.
Lundis Bleus
Lundis Bleus is an independent Swiss watch brand founded in 2016 by watchmakers Bastien Vuilliomenet and Johan Storni, who met in watchmaking school in 1994. Based in La Chaux-de-Fonds, the brand is renowned for its focus on traditional craftsmanship, particularly the artisanal creation of kiln-fired Grand Feu enamel and aventurine glass dials. Their timepiece collections, such as the 1100 series (including the Essentielles and Contemporaines lines), utilize a signature 40mm basin-shaped multi-part case where the lugs are integrated into the case back. Key models within their portfolio include the Metiers d’Art and unique pieces which feature intricate cloisonné enamel work, hand-etched designs, and precious stone dials. While the brand initially launched using regulated Miyota 9015 movements to maintain accessibility, it has since incorporated high-grade Swiss movements like the ETA 2892-2 and Sellita SW300-1 into its handcrafted production.
Longines
Longines is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer founded in 1832 by Auguste Agassiz in Saint-Imier, where the company remains headquartered today. Recognized for its long-standing association with equestrian sports and aviation, the brand is a member of the Swatch Group and holds the distinction of having the oldest registered trademark for a watch logo still in use, featuring its iconic winged hourglass. Longines is noted for balancing traditional elegance with technical precision, a philosophy reflected in its diverse catalog of timepieces. Key models include the Conquest and HydroConquest collections, which offer robust sport and diving capabilities, and the Master Collection, which showcases the brand’s expertise in mechanical complications. The Heritage line is also highly regarded for reissuing historic designs such as the Legend Diver and the Lindbergh Hour Angle watch, while the DolceVita and La Grande Classique series remain staples of the brand’s dress watch offerings.
Krayon
Krayon is an independent Swiss watch brand founded in 2017 by engineer and master watchmaker Rémi Maillat, specializing in complex astronomical complications. The brand is distinguished by its invention of the first universal mechanical calculator for sunrise and sunset times, a feat achieved through its inaugural model, the Everywhere. This hyper-complication allows wearers to input their specific latitude, longitude, and time zone to determine solar data anywhere on Earth. Krayon further refined this concept with the Anywhere model, which streamlines the display into a more wearable 39mm case and won the Calendar and Astronomy Prize at the 2022 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. More recently, the brand introduced Anyday, which features a unique full-month mechanical agenda complication, continuing its focus on translating mathematical precision into functional, high-luxury horology.
Lang & Heyne
Lang and Heyne is an independent high-end watch manufacturer based in Dresden, Germany, founded in 2001 by Marco Lang and Mirko Heyne. The brand is renowned for its commitment to traditional Saxon watchmaking, producing between 150 and 200 timepieces annually with nearly 97 percent of components manufactured in-house. Their collections are characterized by hand-finished mechanical movements, often named after historical Saxon rulers, and feature distinctive design elements like triple lugs and enamel dials. Key models include the Friedrich III, celebrated for its “trigonal” bridge architecture and refined finishing; the Georg, the brand’s first rectangular model featuring a curved case and large sub-seconds dial; and the Hektor, a more contemporary integrated sports watch introduced in 2021 as the brand’s first stainless steel model with a central seconds hand. Other notable pieces include the Anton, which features a flying tourbillon, and the Moritz, which incorporates a full calendar complication including a moon phase and earth disk.
Jacob&Co
Jacob & Co. is an American luxury watch and jewelry brand founded in 1986 in New York City by Jacob Arabo. Initially gaining prominence for its high-jewelry creations favored by celebrities and the hip-hop community, the brand expanded into Swiss-made horology in 2002 with the launch of the Five Time Zone watch, which became a cultural icon. The company is renowned for its “inspired by the impossible” philosophy, producing avant-garde timepieces characterized by dramatic complications and theatrical mechanical displays. Key models include the Astronomia, featuring a multi-axis vertical tourbillon and orbiting satellites under a large sapphire dome; the Epic X, a collection defined by its distinctive X-shaped skeletonized architecture; and the Twin Turbo Furious, which combines a double triple-axis tourbillon with a decimal minute repeater. The brand has also established significant cultural and technical partnerships, notably with Bugatti to create the Chiron Tourbillon, which features a functional miniature W16 engine block, and the Opera collection, which integrates musical box complications playing cinematic themes. Beyond technical complexity, the brand is famous for extreme opulence, as seen in the Billionaire series, which are high-jewelry timepieces completely encrusted with large, high-quality diamonds.
IWC
IWC Schaffhausen is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer founded in 1868 by American engineer Florentine Ariosto Jones, who combined modern American production methods with traditional Swiss craftsmanship. Based in Schaffhausen, the brand is renowned for its technical innovation and “form follows function” design philosophy, notably pioneered by its use of materials like titanium and ceramic. The company’s catalog is anchored by several iconic collections, including the Pilot’s Watches, which are celebrated for their legibility and aviation heritage, and the Portugieser, known for its elegant dial layouts and high complications like the award-winning Eternal Calendar. Other key pillars include the Gérald Genta-designed Ingenieur, the maritime-focused Aquatimer, and the classically refined Portofino and Da Vinci series. Recently, IWC has continued to push boundaries with developments like the Venturer Vertical Drive, the first tool watch engineered for human spaceflight, and the adoption of proprietary materials like Ceratanium.
Jaeger-LeCoultre
Jaeger-LeCoultre is a prestigious Swiss luxury watch manufacture founded in 1833 by Antoine LeCoultre in Le Sentier, known in the industry as the Watchmaker of Watchmakers for its history of supplying movements to other elite horological houses. The brand is defined by its vertically integrated production and a legacy of over 1,200 calibers, ranging from the worlds smallest mechanical movement, the Calibre 101, to highly complex grand complications. Its most iconic timepiece is the Reverso, created in 1931 with a unique swiveling case designed to protect the glass during polo matches, which remains a cornerstone of the collection alongside the elegant Master Ultra Thin series. Other key pillars include the Polaris, a line of versatile sports watches inspired by a 1968 diving alarm, and the Atmos clock, a technical marvel that draws energy from minute atmospheric pressure and temperature changes. Integrating high craftsmanship with technical mastery, the manufacture continues to produce acclaimed complications such as the Gyrotourbillon and various perpetual calendars within its Atelier d’Antoine.
J. N. Shapiro
J. N. Shapiro is a California-based independent watchmaking brand founded in 2018 by Joshua Shapiro, who transitioned from an educator to a master of traditional engine-turning. The brand is globally recognized for its mastery of guilloché dials, particularly the complex “Infinity Weave” pattern, and its commitment to reviving American high horology. A landmark achievement for the brand is the Resurgence model, which is marketed as one of the first genuinely American-made watches since 1969, featuring an in-house movement and components manufactured almost entirely within the United States. Beyond the flagship Resurgence, the brand offers the Infinity Series and the Infinity Series Pure, the latter of which provides a relatively more accessible entry point while maintaining signature hand-finished precious metal hands and intricate engine-turned dials. These timepieces often utilize advanced materials like tantalum and zirconium, reflecting a fusion of traditional 18th-century craft with modern engineering.