Last updated on June 21, 2025
Pocket watches once served as essential accessories for both men and women. They provided a reliable way to tell time before wristwatches became popular. People carried these watches in their pockets, and they soon became prized personal possessions. Skilled makers crafted each piece with care and attention. Many of these watches still spark conversation among collectors and enthusiasts today. In this post, we discuss six prominent Swiss pocket watch makers from the 19th & 20th centuries. We explore how each brand added its own innovations to watch design and function. Their pieces combine precise mechanics with creative design that stands out even today. These are all high-end brands, which is another way of saying extremely expensive today. Sadly, this collector’s pockets aren’t deep enough to add any of these brands to his collection in the foreseeable future..
Abraham‑Louis Breguet
Abraham‑Louis Breguet (1747-1823) changed watchmaking with his innovative ideas and precise designs. Born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, he started his career in the mid‑1700s. Breguet crafted pocket watches that impressed many with their smart features and reliable performance. His designs included innovations like the tourbillon, which improved timekeeping by countering gravity’s effect. Breguet also invented an early shock protection system, the “pare-chute”, and the Breguet hairspring (“overcoil”), which is still in use today. Additionally, he designed the now-iconic hollow, crescent‑shaped “Breguet hands” and the unique Arabic numeral dial style, which remain hallmarks of the brand. He served royal clients and famous figures such as Napoleon, Marie Antoinette, and Queen Victoria. His watches earned respect for their accurate movement and elegant style. Breguet’s innovations not only elevated watchmaking during his lifetime but also laid the groundwork for many of the precision technologies that remain at the heart of modern horology (Abraham-Louis Breguet at Watch Wiki).
Audemars Piguet
Audemars Piguet started in 1875 in Le Brassus, Switzerland, founded by Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet. They quickly built a strong reputation for creating superbly detailed timepieces. By 1881, the company became officially known as Audemars Piguet & Cie. In 1892, the firm worked with Louis Brandt & Frère to produce the first wristwatch with a minute-repeating mechanism. Seven years later, in 1899, they introduced the “Universelle” pocket watch. This model featured a minute repeater, a perpetual calendar, and a split‑seconds chronograph – all packed into one compact design (Audemars Piguet at Wikipedia).
In 1921, Audemars Piguet developed the slimmest pocket watch movement at the time, the calibre 17SVF#5, measuring just 1.32 mm thick. They soon followed with the world’s smallest repeater movement, only 15.8 mm in diameter. The complete watch, set in a platinum pendant, measured a mere 21.1 mm across. That same year, they released the first jump-hour wristwatch using the calibre HPVM10 for both the pocket and wrist versions. By 1928, the company unveiled the first skeletonised pocket watch, exposing its inner workings in a striking display. Audemars Piguet’s early innovations set them apart and paved the way for many modern design breakthroughs.
Jaeger‑LeCoultre
Jaeger‑LeCoultre was founded by Antoine LeCoultre (1803–1881) in 1833. He established a small watchmaking workshop in Le Sentier, where he honed his watchmaking skills to create high-quality timepieces. In 1844, LeCoultre invented the Millionomètre, which was the first instrument in history capable of measuring the micron (one millionth of a metre). This allowed for the precise manufacture of watch parts. In 1847, LeCoultre created a keyless system to rewind and set watches. In 1866, LeCoultre established a watchmaking factory with 500 employees under one roof. This was revolutionary at a time when watchmaking skills were divided up among hundreds of small workshops.
In the early 1900s, Jaeger, a Paris-based watchmaker, challenged Swiss manufacturers to produce ultra‑thin pocket watches. Jacques‑David LeCoultre, who managed production at LeCoultre & Cie, accepted the challenge. By 1931, this resulted in the Reverso, a watch designed for British polo players. A clever reversible case protected the fragile dial during games, and it quickly became popular. Ultimately, the “challenge” became a collaboration, and the two companies merged in 1937, becoming Jaeger‑LeCoultre (Jaeger‑LeCoultre at Grail Watch Wiki).
Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe was established in 1839 in Geneva when Antoine Norbert de Patek (1812 – 1877) and Franciszek Czapek (1811 – 1871) started manufacturing pocket watches. The two eventually separated due to disagreements, and the company was shut down in 1845. Soon after, Patek was joined by French watchmaker Adrien Philippe (1815 – 1894) and continued the watchmaking business with a new company, Patek & Cie. In 1851, the company’s name was officially changed to Patek, Philippe & Cie. In the same year, the Great Exhibition took place in London, where England’s Queen Victoria was among those who admired the world’s first keyless watches displayed by Patek Philippe (Patek Philippe at Watch Wiki).
In 1881, Patek Philippe patented a precision regulator that boosted the accuracy of its watches. Eight years later, the firm secured a patent for a perpetual calendar mechanism in pocket watches, giving owners dependable date tracking. In 1902, they introduced a double chronograph that allowed timing two events simultaneously. In 1916, the company produced the world’s first ladies’ wristwatch with a complication, model No. 174603 featured a five‑minute repeater that clearly chimed the time. Then, in 1923, Patek Philippe launched the world’s first split‑second chronograph wristwatch, which enabled precise timing even during fast‑paced events.
Rolex
Rolex is well‑known for its wristwatches, but it also made some fine pocket watches. In its early days, Rolex crafted pieces using precious metals like gold and platinum. These watches featured precise movements and strong build quality. They offered reliable performance in a stylish package. The maker showed that its skills were not limited to wristwatches alone. Rolex pocket watches reflect a mix of classic design and modern practicality. They combine functionality with robust construction. The brand managed to maintain high standards even when it produced fewer pocket watches. Many watch fans value these pieces for their distinct character and solid performance. The maker clearly cared about quality and precision in every design. Rolex never established a significant line of pocket watches. Instead, the company’s early focus on wristwatches set the stage for its future success (Rolex at Grail Watch Wiki).
Vacheron Constantin
Vacheron Constantin ranks among the world’s oldest watchmakers, producing timepieces continuously since 1755. The brand survived the upheaval of the French Revolution, two world wars, the Great Depression, and the Quartz Crisis. Vacheron Constantin started in 1755 when Jean‑Marc Vacheron (1731–1805) opened a small workshop in Geneva. Abraham Vacheron, son of Jean‑Marc Vacheron, assumed control of the family business in 1785. In 1810, his grandson Jacques‑Barthélemy Vacheron took the helm and began exporting watches to France and Italy. Realising he couldn’t manage everything alone, he brought François Constantin (1788 – 1854) on board in 1819. The partnership led to the company being renamed Vacheron & Constantin, marking a new era in its development (Vacheron Constantin at Wikipedia).
Vacheron Constantin is best known for its brilliant work on complicated pocket watches and finely engineered timepieces. The brand has consistently pushed boundaries by creating watches with intricate features such as minute repeaters, perpetual calendars, and jumping-hour mechanisms.
Summary
These six Swiss watchmakers include the “Holy Trinity of watchmakers,” Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin. Each brand has carved out its own niche through remarkable innovations and exceptional quality. Audemars Piguet made waves with revolutionary designs like the Royal Oak, which challenged conventional ideas with its bold use of stainless steel and integrated bracelet. Patek Philippe is celebrated for its complex, beautifully engineered timepieces that push the boundaries of what a watch can do. Meanwhile, Vacheron Constantin stands out for its exquisitely crafted pocket watches and intricate complications.