Watch brands: Rolex most valuable
As the 2013 ranking of the most valuable watch brands compiled by BV4 shows, in addition to luxury watches, inexpensive watches such as Swatch have also made strong gains in value. Rolex remains at the top.
In the latest study on the values of Swiss branded watches, the brand valuation company BV4 evaluated both qualitative aspects, i.e. the strength of the respective brands, and took a close look at the financial values of the most valuable watch brands. For the first time, the digital brand strength was also determined and taken into account on the basis of various factors at the digital touchpoints (e.g. web presence and presence on social media platforms). As in the previous year, the 20 most valuable brands were included in the ranking.
Rolex successfully defended its position as the most valuable Swiss watch brand with a brand value of 5.074 billion Swiss francs. There was also no change in the ranks one to five from last year to this year. In contrast, the brand values of Rolex have increased by eleven percent, those of Swatch by ten percent, and those of Cartier and Omega by eight percent each. Of the 15 brands that followed, only Tag Heuer (+11 percent) and Hublot (+10 percent) were able to increase their brand values by double digits. They are followed by Tissot with nine percent, IWC with four percent and Breitling with a two percent increase in value. All the other eleven brands - i.e. a good half - have to accept a lower valuation of between one and seven percent and thus drop one place in the ranking. The biggest jumps were made by Hublot from 20th to 18th place and IWC from tenth to eighth place.
The 20 most valuable Swiss watch brands together are worth a total of over 21 billion Swiss francs. This is a very good report card for Swiss watch companies. In addition to technically superior products, Swiss watch companies also manage to create unique brand worlds. Thanks to their strong brands, Swiss watch manufacturers offer a high added value, which is extremely appreciated by their worldwide clientele. Customers are willing to pay a premium for this emotional added value. According to BV4, it is precisely this fact that makes Swiss watch brands strong and valuable brands.
