The French watch industry holds a distinct and storied identity, with Paris standing as the world’s fashion and haute couture capital.
The city of Besançon, often referred to as the “French capital of watchmaking,” has played a crucial role since the 19th century. At its peak in 1883, Besançon alone produced more than 500,000 watches annually, accounting for 90% of French production.
This was made possible by 5,000 full-time watchmakers and 10,000 part-time workers. This legacy of craftsmanship continues to define French watch brands today.
Modern-day French watch culture thrives on design excellence and creativity. Unlike Swiss brands that focus on technical mastery, French houses are known for setting global style trends, blending watchmaking with the broader worlds of haute couture and jewelry.
According to the United Nations Comtrade database on international trade, France exported clocks and watches worth $3.06 billion in 2024, while imports in the same year totaled $3.74 billion. [1][2]
Below, I feature the leading French watch brands that combine artistry, heritage, and modern design.
Did you know?In the luxury segment, France’s watch market is projected to reach $2.5 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 4.3%. [3]
Table of Contents
14. Fugue
Founded: 2017Price Range: $450 – $1,200
Popular Models: Fugue Chronostase, Fiction series
Competitive Edge: Interchangeable watch case and strap system
Fugue’s design philosophy is “neo-classic,” blending vintage watch codes with contemporary elegance. Its debut model, the Chronostase, embodied this approach with clean lines, balanced proportions, and a refined, emotional aesthetic.
What truly sets Fugue apart is its modular design innovation: the case splits into two via a patented ball-bearing mechanism, allowing tops or strap frames to be swapped easily without tools.
The brand has adopted modern business practices by leveraging digital marketing, crowdfunding, and online sales. By launching through Kickstarter and other platforms, Fugue was able to validate its designs, build a base of early adopters, and reduce financial risk before moving into regular production.
Although Fugue operates at a much smaller scale compared to major maisons, its impact has been notable. The brand shows how younger companies can compete by offering affordability, personalization, and transparency while still producing timepieces that appeal to horological enthusiasts.
13. Baltic
Baltic Hermetique Tourer
Price Range: $450 – $3,500
Popular Models: HMS 002, Bicompax 002
Competitive Edge: Hybrid French-Swiss-Japanese supply chain
Baltic is one of the most exciting success stories in the modern French watchmaking industry. Founded in 2017 through a Kickstarter campaign, Baltic quickly captured attention with its vintage-inspired designs, minimalist aesthetic, and accessible pricing.
The company blends classic mid-20th-century watch design with modern mechanical craftsmanship. Its lineup, from its HMS dress watches to its Aquascaphe divers, draws inspiration from the golden age of watchmaking (1940s – 1970s), while offering modern durability and affordability.
Most of its products are sold online. This direct-to-consumer model allows the company to keep costs low while reaching international customers without relying on traditional retail networks.
Plus, they emphasize transparency in production. While Baltic designs are proudly French, their components are sourced from reputable global suppliers, such as Seiko automatic movements from Japan and Sellita calibers from Switzerland, with assembly taking place in France. This hybrid production model enables Baltic to strike a balance between affordability and quality. [4]
12. March LA.B
Founded: 2008Price Range: $1,000 – $2,000
Popular Models: AM69, AM2 Automatic
Competitive Edge: Distinctive vintage-era aesthetic
March LA.B fuses 1970s-inspired vintage aesthetics with modern minimalism. Its watches are distinguished by retro square-shaped cases with rounded edges, crowns placed at 4 o’clock for greater comfort, and signature green accents.
Initially, the brand utilized ETA 2892 and quartz Ronda movements. It has now switched to the Swiss-made La Joux-Perret G100 automatic caliber, which offers a 68-hour power reserve. These movements are assembled in Besançon through a partnership with La Joux-Perret and Humbert-Droz.
With its motto “Less is more,” March LA.B appeals strongly to design-conscious customers who seek an elegant but unpretentious watch. French President Emmanuel Macron has been seen wearing the elegant quartz AM69 Electric, highlighting the brand’s understated appeal.
11. A.L.B Watches
A.L.B Khumeia
Price Range: $2,000 – $13,000+
Popular Models: A.L.B “000” Series, ALB 200 Promenade à Etretat
Competitive Edge: Innovation through 3D printing, Exclusivity
A.L.B prioritizes creativity, imagination, and exclusivity. Its watches are produced either as unique pieces or in very limited editions. For instance, the early model “Balade Au Brézéguet” was limited to just 5 pieces, while “Eclipse Seconds” was limited to 10, ensuring both rarity and personalization.
These creations draw inspiration from the countryside and sky around Toulouse, giving the brand a poetic and regionally rooted aesthetic.
What makes A.L.B unique is its fusion of 3D printing technology and traditional watchmaking. While many watch brands rely on mass-production methods, A.L.B creates dials and components through high-precision additive manufacturing. [5]
This allows the brand to experiment with textures, layering, and futuristic aesthetics that would be impossible with conventional machining. The result is a timepiece that looks more like wearable art than a conventional watch.
Beyond watch production, the brand also hosts watchmaking and stone-cutting workshops (prices between $150 and $600), reflecting its ethos of shared craftsmanship and creative transmission.
10. BRM (Bernard Richards Manufacture)
BRM V6-44-SA Red Cercolor
Price Range: $4,000 – $60,000+
Popular Models: BRM V12-44, R50
Competitive Edge: Authentic motorsport DNA, in-house manufacturing
BRM is one of the most distinctive luxury watchmakers in France, renowned for its uncompromising dedication to mechanical precision and motorsport-inspired design.
It is among the few independent French luxury watch manufacturers that produce all components in-house, including cases, dials, and movement guards. These components are often machined from solid blocks and finished by hand, reflecting an artisanal ethos.
Their production has steadily grown, from 47 watches in 2003 to approximately 2,000 units per year. Each piece displays motorsport cues, from tire-tread straps to piston pushers, dashboard dials, and even shock-absorber housings protecting the movement.
Their clients include racing enthusiasts and motorsport teams worldwide. Since 2006, eight drivers at the Le Mans 24 Hours have worn BRM chronographs. The brand has also collaborated with Porsche teams, Formula racing divisions, and Le Mans events, embedding its identity deeply into high-speed racing culture.
9. Trilobe
Price Range: $8,000 – $28,000+
Popular Models: Les Matinaux, Une Folle Journée
Competitive Edge: Unique display of time
Trilobe has developed a unique time-telling mechanism that completely rethinks the concept of displaying hours, minutes, and seconds. Instead of traditional hands, Trilobe watches feature rotating rings (one for hours, one for minutes, and one for seconds) that orbit around the dial, creating a poetic and architectural representation of time.
Its debut collection, Les Matinaux, was launched at the Musée des Arts et Métiers in Paris in 2018. This was followed by Nuit Fantastique in 2021 and the visually striking Une Folle Journée in 2022, both of which preserved the core ring-display concept while advancing the aesthetic and technical design.
In just a few years, Trilobe has become a rising star in haute horlogerie, earning acclaim from collectors and winning industry awards, including the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (GPHG) 2022 award for the “Une Folle Journée” model. [6]
8. Pequignet
Pequignet Royale Saphir
Price Range: $2,000 – $13,000+
Popular Models: Concorde, Moorea, Excellence Royale
Competitive Edge: In-house French movement manufacturing
Unlike many French fashion houses that later entered watchmaking, Pequignet was established specifically as a watch company, with a mission to combine French design elegance with the rigorous mechanics of haute horlogerie.
The company gained major recognition in 2010 with the development of the Calibre Royal, an automatic movement engineered and assembled entirely in France. This movement features complications such as a large date, moon phase, power reserve indicator, and dual time, while maintaining an exceptionally slim profile.
More specifically, the Calibre Royal’s “triple jump” date/day, astronomical moon-phase, and long 88-hour power reserve are exceptional for a movement of its kind.
Pequignet emphasizes local supply chains, with more than 72% of components for the Calibre Initial and over 75% for the Royal produced within an 80 km radius of Morteau. The brand also holds the “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (EPV)” certification, which recognizes its craftsmanship and heritage.
7. Yema
Yema Granvelle CMM.20
Parent: Montres Ambre
Price Range: $500 – $3,000+
Popular Models: Yema Superman, Rallygraf, YEMA 3000
Competitive Edge: Rich historical legacy, Adventure-oriented collections
Founded by Henry Louis Belmont, Yema has created timepieces for explorers, divers, astronauts, and even French Air Force pilots. By the 1960s, Yema was producing over 500,000 watches per year and exporting to more than 50 countries, securing its place as one of France’s most recognized watch brands on the global stage.
The brand earned recognition for pioneering specialized watches, including diving models capable of withstanding depths of up to 300 meters and pilot chronographs developed in collaboration with military aviation professionals.
In 1982, Yema reached beyond Earth when its Spationaute I became the first French watch in space, accompanying astronaut Jean-Loup Chrétien aboard the Salyut 7 space station. [7]
Today, Yema continues its revival by reissuing iconic models and introducing new designs that combine heritage with modernity. Drawing on its strong vintage legacy, the brand has brought back classics such as the Superman and Rallygraf, while also developing modern in-house calibers like the MBP 1000 and YEMA 2000/3000, all assembled at its facility in Morteau.
6. Bell & Ross
BR-03 Skeleton Black Ceramic
Parent: Chanel
Price Range: $2,000 – $30,000+
Popular Models: BR 01 & BR 03, Hydromax, BR-X1
Competitive Edge: Proven performance in test-of-use fields
Bell & Ross has built a strong identity by focusing on professional-grade tool watches, often designed with inspiration from aviation, diving, and military specifications. Within three decades, it has become one of France’s most internationally recognized watch brands, with a presence in over 70 countries.
A defining milestone for the brand came with the launch of the BR 01 series in 2005, a square-shaped aviation-inspired watch modeled after cockpit instruments. This iconic design became the signature of Bell & Ross and remains one of its bestsellers. [8]
The brand has also developed specialized dive watches such as the Hydromax, which holds a record-breaking water resistance of 11,100 meters.
Today, Bell & Ross operates under the umbrella of the Chanel Group, which acquired a controlling stake in the brand in 2001. This backing strengthened its financial and creative capabilities while keeping its design DNA intact.
5. Michel Herbelin
Price Range: $400 – $2,500
Popular Models: Newport, Antarès, Inspiration
Competitive Edge: Affordable luxury positioning
Michel Herbelin strikes a balance between affordability and craftsmanship. Unlike haute horlogerie maisons such as Cartier or Hermès, Herbelin has carved its niche in the mid-luxury segment, allowing it to compete with brands like Longines, Tissot, and Rado.
Herbelin is especially known for its nautical-inspired collections, such as the Newport line, which has remained a best-seller for decades.
The brand prioritizes durability and timeless design over fleeting fashion trends. It works closely with Swiss movement suppliers such as ETA, Sellita, and Ronda to ensure accuracy. The case, dial, and final assembly are completed in Charquemont, France, a historic watchmaking region near the Swiss border.
This hybrid model enables Herbelin to remain competitive against pure-Swiss brands while preserving its French identity.
Today, Michel Herbelin produces approximately 85,000 watches a year and sells across more than 50 countries, making it one of the largest family-owned French watch brands still operating independently. [9]
4. Dior
Chiffre Rouge Chronograph
Parent: LVMH
Price Range: $3,000 – $200,000+
Popular Models: Dior VIII, Dior Grand Bal, Chiffre Rouge
Competitive Edge: Materials & Design Innovation
Dior entered the watch market in 1975, launching its first timepieces as a way to translate the elegance of couture into wearable mechanical artistry. Unlike Swiss brands with centuries of horological heritage, Dior’s watchmaking is focused on blending fashion, jewelry design, and precision mechanics.
Its timepieces are produced under the LVMH Group, which owns other watch giants like TAG Heuer, Hublot, and Zenith. This gives Dior access to Switzerland’s top watchmaking facilities, research and development, and global distribution networks. Most Dior watches are assembled in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, a renowned hub of fine watchmaking.
These watches attract high-net-worth clientele, collectors, and enthusiasts who view Dior timepieces not just as instruments for telling time but as symbols of Parisian elegance.
In particular, Dior’s Grand Bal collection (which features dials inspired by Dior couture gowns) highlights how Dior uniquely marries horology with haute couture storytelling.
3. Chanel
J12 Watch Calibre 12.1
Parent: Richemont Group
Price Range: $4,000 – $250,000+
Popular Models: J12, Première, Code Coco
Competitive Edge: Blend of Parisian design codes with Swiss technical mastery
Renowned for its haute couture and iconic products, such as the Chanel No. 5 perfume, Chanel has steadily built a respected position in the high watchmaking segment since the 1980s.
Its horological presence started with the Première watch in 1987, a design inspired by the stopper of the Chanel No. 5 perfume bottle and the geometric outline of Place Vendôme in Paris. This debut set the tone for Chanel watches: blending fashion aesthetics with fine mechanics.
However, the true revolution came in 2000 with the J12 collection, a unisex ceramic timepiece that became one of the most influential luxury watches of the 21st century.
Over the years, Chanel has invested heavily in manufacturing capabilities to strengthen its watchmaking credibility. It acquired G&F Châtelain, a Swiss specialist in cases and bracelets, securing in-house production of key components. The brand also acquired equity stakes in niche movement makers such as Kenissi and MB&F, signaling its intent to control mechanical excellence. [10]
By 2024, Chanel’s watch sales reached 465 million, accounting for about 2% of Chanel’s total business. The J12 alone represents 50% of the watch division’s sales, underscoring its central role. [11]
Today, Chanel watches occupy the same space as Rolex, Omega, and Cartier, but with fashion-forward differentiation.
2. Hermès
Hermès Slim d’Hermès
Price Range: $2,500 – $50,000+
Popular Models: Arceau, Cape Cod, Slim d’Hermès
Competitive Edge: Complete in-house control over production
While Hermès is known for its leather goods, silk, and ready-to-wear fashion, the brand has quietly built a respected reputation in watchmaking over the past four decades.
Hermès officially expanded into watches in 1978 by creating La Montre Hermès SA in Switzerland. Unlike many fashion-driven watch brands, Hermès invested early in Swiss watchmaking expertise and later in proprietary manufacturing, ensuring credibility that extends beyond fashion.
The brand combines Parisian design aesthetics with Swiss engineering, embodying a balance of artistry and precision that resonates with both fashion buyers and serious collectors.
It offers entry-level luxury quartz watches at $2,500 – $5,000, while haute horlogerie mechanical pieces reach $30,000 – $50,000, catering to both aspirational buyers and seasoned collectors. All timepieces are sold through its own boutiques and select authorized retailers, maintaining exclusivity and brand control.
Financially, Hermès’ watchmaking division remains a smaller but steadily growing segment. Between 2019 and 2023, its watch sales tripled, rising from about $225 million to $713 million, with a 20.6% increase in 2023 alone. [12]
This growth represented around 4.6% of Hermès’ total revenue of $15.6 billion in 2023, surpassing the beauty segment, which contributed 3.6%. In 2024, the watch division generated $674 million, accounting for 3.8% of the Group’s total revenue. [13]
1. Cartier
Santos de Cartier skeleton watch
Parent: Richemont Group
Price Range: $3,000 – $250,000+
Popular Models: Santos, Tank, Ballon Bleu
Competitive Edge: Heritage & brand prestige, Balanced retail model
While Cartier is widely known for its jewelry, it has also been a pioneering force in the wristwatch industry for over a century.
It is the largest brand in Richemont’s portfolio, contributing approximately half of the total group sales and two-thirds of operating profits, with an operating margin of roughly 30%. [14]
Cartier watches strike a balance between high-volume production and luxury appeal. The maison produces roughly 500,000+ watches a year. This makes it not only the leading French watch brand, but also one of the top three watchmakers in the world by revenue (alongside Rolex and Omega).
The brand also invests heavily in artisanal excellence, with its training programs spanning 3 to 5 years for new artisans. It has over 400 skilled craftsmen across France, Switzerland, and Italy.
Their most popular collections (such as Tank, Santos, Ballon Bleu, Panthère, and Pasha) consistently drive sales, with models priced between $3,000 and $50,000 forming the core of its business. At the same time, the brand preserves its exclusivity at the ultra-high end with grand complications and jewelry watches priced above $250,000, often reserved for VIP clients.
Read More
- 14 Most Expensive Watch Brands In The World
- 16 Top Japanese Watch Brands
- 14 Top Chinese Watch Brands
- Trade Data, France exports of clocks and watches, Trading Economics
- Trade Data, France imports of clocks and watches, Trading Economics
- Report, France luxury watch market size and outlook, GrandViewResearch
- Serge Maillard, Baltic and the blueprint for creating a watch brand in the 21st century, Europa Star
- Business, A.L.B. enlists Sculpteo for 3d printing of uniquely beautiful timepieces, 3D Print
- Event, Trilobe wins the prize “Petite Aiguille” at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie, Trilobe
- Story, The history of Yema in detail, Yema
- Frank Geelen, Bell & Ross celebrates 10 Years of BR01, Monochrome Watches
- A Parisian Loft Spirit, Opening of the first global flagship store in Paris, Herbelin
- Market Deals, Chanel buys 25% stake in niche Swiss watchmaker MB&F, Reuters
- Laure Guilbault, Inside Chanel’s watch strategy, Vogue Business
- Milena Lazazzera, Inside Hermès’s quiet watch boom, Vogue Business
- Financial Results, Sales by geographical area and sector, Hermes
- Financial Results, Richemont announces strong underlying performance for the year 2024, Richemont
