Which is the most reliable Swiss mechanical watch?

Feb 9, 2022

There are more than 100 or so parts in a mechanical watch, and there are usually more than 17 gems in the movement alone. These tiny parts are assembled by hand or robotically into a complete movement. Even more expensive is that the watchmaker has to manually test and adjust the movement in the following days or weeks. Of course, the cheaper movements will do the simplest tests within the specifications and then be boxed.

This will lead to many problems in the subsequent use of the mechanical watch. For example, if the hair spring bends unknowingly, causing irregular beating, there may be insufficient or excessive oil in any of the many pivots. The case can be exposed to overheating, shock or magnetism, which can damage the movement. Having said all that, with so many moving parts in a mechanical watch, it must have multiple points of failure. So in a word, mechanical watches are sturdy and reliable is a myth.

But under the conditions that consumers can accept, let's talk about the most reliable Swiss mechanical watches:

Here I do not intend to involve the three brands of Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Audemars Piguet. After all, this is not a watch brand for most consumers.

Others I recommend:

Rolex: The toughest watch, bar none. No fancy movements, with Geneva stripes, special dials, etc.

Watches equipped with ETA movement 2824 or 2892

The well-known movement, produced in several different reading accuracy classes, is very reliable. It was developed in the late 1950s, which meant 50 years of further optimizations and fixes. Most mid-to-high-end watch brands use this brand of movement: including Omega, Longines, Hamilton, Mido, Rado, etc.

A watch with a JLC movement

"Watchmaker's Watchmaker" (aka JLC) movements are used in some high-end brands. This is also the top caliber I recommend. For example, the Portofino Portofino in the 1990s; then in the 00s, the Portofino used an ETA movement, and now they use a Sellita movement. Even Audemars Piguet, their Royal Oak Chronograph uses a JLC movement with a Dubois-Depraz Chronograph Module. Who is Dubois-Depraz, it can only be said that he is an expert in converting basic movements into chronograph movements.

There are also some niche brands (Schwarz Etienne, DuBois, Favre Leuba) that take NOS movements from famous movement brands such as Unitas, A. Schild, etc. and put them in some more trendy and stylish watches, this one can also be your choice.

On the other hand, there are also some "high-end" brands like Montblanc or Cartier that use ETA movements. Both are the same 2824 or 2892 movement. But compared to their price, it is really not cost-effective.