SIHH Qualified: List of “Fine Watchmaking”

As we just told you, SIHH parent the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie has just released an explosive report dubbed the White Paper on Fine Watchmaking that declares only certain watch brands qualify as examples of Fine Watchmaking. No mere offhand edict, the report was painstakingly compiled with input from a prestigious “Cultural Council” of experts who evaluated each brand based on his or her area of expertise. Nonetheless, many watch enthusiasts may take issue with the fact that while the likes of Bulgari and Chanel and many lesser-known brands made the cut, Tudor and Longines were deemed unworthy.

Unqualified

According to the Foundation, “Fine Watch brands meet the criteria set out by the Cultural Council. They lead the way with avant-garde products that reflect centuries of tradition.” Only 64 luxury brands qualify, of which 28 have become partners with the Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie. Choosing the brands “will significantly further understanding of Fine Watchmaking and give it greater prominence in the world,” the Foundation states. High profile Council members who helped make the decree include Aurel Bacs of Phillips Watches, Ben Clymer of Hodkinkee, William Rohr of TimeZone, and Wei Koh, founder of The Rake and Revolution Magazine.

Fine Watchmaking List

In addition to Tudor and Longines, surely the most controversial omissions, snubs include Baume & Mercier, Frederique Constant, Bremont, Alpina, Harry Winston, Bulova, Raymond Weil and Porsche Design. Below is the list of brands the Fondation deemed worthy of being partners – in their estimation the epitome of fine watchmaking – and the others that met the criteria.

1. A. Lange & Sohne
2. Audemars Piguet
3. Bovet 1822
4. Bulgari
5. Cartier
6. Chanel
7. Chopard
8. Christophe Claret
9. De Bethune
10. F.P. Journe
11. Girard-Perregaux
12. Greubel Forsey
13. H. Moser & Cie
14. Hermès
15. HYT
16. IWC
17. Jaeger-LeCoultre
18. Louis Vuitton
19. MB&F
20. Montblanc
21. Panerai
22. Parmigiani Fleurier
23. Piaget
24. Richard Mille
25. Roger Dubuis
26. TAG Heuer
27. Vacheron Constantin
28. Van Cleef & Arpels

Other brands that qualify as “Fine Watchmaking”:

1. Andreas Strehler
2. Antoine Preziuso
3. Armin Strom
4. Ateliers Louis Moinet
5. Beat Haldimann
6. Blancpain
7. Breguet
8. Breitling
9. Cabestan
10. Christiaan Van der Klaauw
11. DeWitt
12. Glashütte Original
13. Grönefeld
14. Hautlence
15. Hublot
16. Jaquet Droz
17. Laurent Ferrier
18. Maîtres du Temps
19. MCT
20. Omega
21. Patek Philippe
22. Philippe Dufour
23. Ressence
24. RJ-Romain Jerome
25. Roger W. Smith
26. Rolex
27. Romain Gauthier
28. Sarpaneva
29. Speake-Marin
30. Thomas Prescher
31. Ulysse Nardin
32. Urwerk
33. Vianney Halter
34. Voutilainen
35. Zenith

According to Bloomberg, this is the outcome of a three-year review of 86 brands. What do you think of the way they did this? Did Tudor deserve a slap in the face? Or is it just an attempt to take parent Rolex down a peg….?