Feature: Rolex versus Omega versus TAG Heuer versus Breitling versus Cartier
We’re pitting not two, not three but FIVE of the most popular Swiss watch brands against each other in a gladiatorial contest that would thrill a blood-thirsty Roman emperor. Which of these watchmaking warriors will be left standing after we’ve painstakingly considered everything from quality to icon status?
History
Did you know that Cartier is one year older than Omega? Admittedly it was first and foremost a jewellery maison, but its watchmaking heritage commands respect. Even in the early days when it didn’t manufacture its own movements, it sourced the very best from brands like Jaeger-Lecoultre.
Its Santos model, created in 1904 for Alberto Santos-Dumont, an aviation pioneer who could often be seen floating above the Paris skyline in one of his bizarre balloon-like inventions, was one of the first commercially manufactured wristwatches.
Of course, aviation played an even bigger role in the history of Breitling. An official supplier to the Royal Air Force in the 1930s, it created the Navitimer chronograph, the first Swiss wristwatch in space. Also—whisper it in the presence of Omega and Rolex—but James Bond actually went rogue and wore a Breitling in the 1965 film Thunderball. In fact, out of all five brands, only Cartier hasn’t been seen on James Bond’s wrist.
Omega became the envy of watch brands everywhere though when its Speedmaster became the first watch on the moon. No doubt Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf would have sold a kidney to be able to claim that historic feat for his own brand. Omega has been a prolific watchmaker for decades, scoring another huge marketing coup when it became the first official James Bond watch in the mid-1990s.
It’s also the official timekeeper for the Olympic games, which must rankle with rivals TAG Heuer who once occupied that role thanks to its reputation for highly precise stopwatches and racing-related chronographs.
Make no mistake, TAG Heuer (formerly Heuer) has had a hand in some truly pivotal watchmaking moments since its inception in 1860.
And then there’s Rolex, fashionably late to the game in 1908 (or 1905 if you’re counting its time as Wilsdorf and Davis), yet quick to catch up under the shrewd guidance of co-founder Hans Wilsdorf. Technical milestones and attaching itself to record-breaking feats—like the Everest expedition of 1953—catapulted the brand to greatness within half a century and it’s never looked back.
Quality
Omega's decision to start equipping its movements with George Daniel’s ingenious co-axial escapement in 1999 gave the brand serious technical bragging rights, and most of its watches are now METAS-certified master chronometers for greater accuracy.
Unlike Rolex, which now makes all its movements in-house, TAG Heuer and Breitling continue to use Sellita and ETA calibres in some of its watches while Cartier has made huge technical strides since its parent company Richemont SA acquired the production facilities of Manufacture Roger Dubuis in 2007.
Cartier promptly took over an atelier in the facility and installed a number of highly skilled master watchmakers who have imbued the maison with some haute horlogerie magic.
Out of all these brands, if you’re looking for a something extra special—say, a flying tourbillon in white gold—it’s Cartier you would undoubtedly turn to. But for your everyday, durable watch— something in steel that will see you through the decades—the long-established tool watches of Rolex and Omega still tick all the boxes, from the finesse of the case polishing to the robustness of the bracelet.
Cool factor
A decade or so ago, Breitling was about as cool as a Volvo estate. Its colour palette was painfully monochrome and its case sizes only seemed to come in large and extra-large. However, thanks to models like the revamped Superocean and Premier Heritage line, it’s been given a welcome contemporary style upgrade.
Chuck in some well-chosen young(ish) celebrity ambassadors and suddenly it’s no longer the watch your rugby-loving uncle wears when he meets up with his old army pals.
TAG Heuer's array of racing chronographs, such as the Monaco and the Carrera, give it plenty of credibility. Still, it’s unlikely famous fans like the late Steve McQueen would have approved of the chronograph tourbillon featuring Super Mario. Trying too hard is the antithesis of cool.
We’re not sure Omega has ever been cool as a brand, but it continues to release cool individual models. The revival of the Ploprof reminded us of an era when dive watch cases were unashamedly chunky. As for the Seamaster line, it continues to release gems that recall its 1950s heyday, like the Railmaster.
And if you’re wearing any type of Speedmaster you’ll always get the nod of approval from your watch-loving brethren. It’s one of the safest bets out there.
Forever straddling the boundary between classic and cool, is Cartier. Its watches are the former while the people who wear them are the latter. Rudolph Valentino, Muhammad Ali, Keith Richards, Jackie Onassis—all have worn Cartier watches, pairing icon with icon. It’s one of the few watches a 90-year-old grandmother could hand down to her 20-year-old-grandson without him heading straight to the pawn shop.
And whatever you think of Rolex, you can’t say it isn’t a cool brand. It’s air of reticence, the infuriating unattainability of certain models and the very name itself—meaningless yet memorable—all combine to form one of the most alluring and coolest luxury brands ever created.
Icon status
Between them, these brands have produced more iconic watches than a jailer has keys, making the names themselves iconic. Many of their watches are so embedded in our consciousness that we can recognise them by their case shape alone, or their logo—the wings of Breitling, say, or Rolex's crown.
TAG Heuer is certainly iconic due to its links to the glory days of motor sport when actor Steve McQueen wore a Monaco model in the film Le Mans. Breitling’s iconic aura is equally reliant on one particular model: the aforementioned Navitimer. But an actual moon-landing trumps a mere orbit, and so Omega's Speedmaster might well be the most iconic watch of all. The Seamaster, now as much a part of the James Bond films as gadgets and Martinis, is also a contender for icon status.
Rolex also boasts an array of icons, whether due to its much-copied designs, the death-defying missions many of the watches have been involved in, or A-list wearers. The Daytona, a poor seller when it launched, only became an iconic watch when Paul Newman wore one on an Italian magazine cover. Now it’s the most expensive wristwatch ever sold.
And Cartier certainly has a claim to be the most iconic luxury brand ever. King Edward VII famously said it was “The Jeweller of Kings and the King of Jewellers”, and the fact that so many royal family members all over the world wear Cartier watches means that this is equally true for its timepieces.
Value
Few people would describe Rolex as great value. Is a steel Oyster Perpetual, which does nothing but tell the time, really worth ten times as much as a Seiko that does exactly the same thing? Not really, but then a Seiko won’t rise in market value the second it leaves the boutique.
No amount of marketing or constant, subtle improvements to its watches (tougher types of steel, fade-proof bezel inserts) justify such prices, but the unstoppable force that is Rolex is more potent than ever and that’s why its Crown remains as steady as King Charles’ bald patch.
TAG Heuer was once arguably the world’s leading brand for sports timekeeping. Its early stop-watches were legendary, and it went on to launch a range of motor-racing chronographs in the 1960s that still make up the core of its collections. These chronographs, typified by the Monaco, are now mostly found at the upper end of TAG Heuer’s catalogue but an entry-level, time-only version of the Carrera offers good value. The movements on such watches might be bought in externally and modified, but you’re getting a true heritage brand, and one that continues to live up to its full name—Techniques d’Avant Garde Heuer.
Check out the Monaco V4 or the Carrera Mikrograph for proof that TAG Heuer can still conjure up moments of brilliance.
Next to its great rival, Rolex, Omega appears good value, although US readers may disagree. In 2023 it raised its prices by eight per cent there, and two per cent elsewhere. Yet the average price of its flagship dive watch, the Seamaster, is still significantly less than a steel Submariner. You’re also getting that excellent co-axial master chronometer movement and possibly a nicely engraved or exhibition caseback, something Rolex simply can’t be bothered with.
If you’re going to sell it, don’t expect to make a profit (there are exceptions), but at least it shouldn’t need a service as often as a Rolex thanks to that co-axial escapement. That has to count for something.
And what about Breitling, a brand that has flourished since its 2017 acquisition by an investment group? Revamped collections like the Superocean now cost significantly more than their predecessors, but still hover around the acceptable $5k mark. And a Navitimer on a steel bracelet? A chunk of change less than a Daytona, despite a typical Navitimer offering more in terms of functions and illustrious history.
Considering its iconic status, specs and a design that is more faithful to the original than the Daytona, the Navitimer is easily one of the best chronographs out there for under $10k.
Cartier, meanwhile, isn’t a brand whose watches are going to be jam-packed with functions—aside from its very high-end Grande Complication pieces. But you are getting a watchmaker (and jewellery maison) of global repute that cuts no corners.
Classic designs, precious metals, refinement from case to clasp and a name that is as timeless as a tuxedo—a Cartier product will always be a highly desirable item. And that isn’t something you can guarantee with, say, a Richard Mille.
A new steel Santos or Tank in the region of $5-6k is surely great value, while pre-owned Cartier watches at great prices are plentiful.
Conclusion
Firstly, you know by now that Rolex is the winner. It always is, but who else is still standing after the dust has settled? We’re going for Omega and Cartier, while TAG Heuer and Breitling lie bruised and battered on the sidelines, having put up a ferocious fight.
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