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The Movado brand is a Swiss manufacturer which is often overlooked. They produce very simple designs and finish their watches to a high degree of quality. Whilst this is certainly not on par with Swiss luxury brands, Movado are well above average fashion brands.
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About The Movado Brand
Movado watchmaking company that can be traced back to 1881 where they were launched in Le-Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland. Although the company was formed in 1881, it was originally known as LAI Ditescheim & Freres SA before changing its name in 1905. The name Movado was chosen as it means “always in motion” in the Esparanto language. Obviously, this is far more appropriate for the worldwide market who would have a lot of trouble pronouncing the former name.
Best known for the iconic dot at 12 o’clock design. Movado has had a very consistent brand image since this was first released in 1947. In fact, there are not many other brands, Swiss or otherwise who can claim they are still producing watches with the same dial design some 70 years later.
Fast forward to present day, Movado is currently traded on the New York Stock Exchange and is currently valued in excess of $700 million. Whilst the Movado brand is still incredibly popular, the company does make a lot of its profit from producing watches for licensed brands. These include the likes of Hugo Boss, Ebel, Olivia Burton, and Coach.
At one point Movado did own the luxury brand Piaget before selling it for $30 million in 1999.
Movado are also well known for funding the world-famous Time Sculpture which can be found outside of the Lincoln Center in New York City which still bears the brand’s name.
Is Movado A Luxury Watch Brand?
Overall as a brand, Movado cannot really be considered a luxury watchmaker. This is because the brand does not make its own movements, neither does it make watches from very high-quality precious metals, use gemstones, or charge thousands of dollars for its creations. In general, you will be able to pick up any Movado model you want for between $300-$1500. This is not really considered a luxury price bracket considering Tag Heuer is pretty much the standard low-level luxury brand and has watches much more expensive and sophisticated than the best Movado has to offer.
That is not to say that Movado make poor quality watches, far from it. Movado are a very solid Swiss brand with a rich history and will always have some level of respect.
Another point to add is that Movado makes watches for brands such as Coach, Lacoste & Olivia Burton. This is not a normal thing for a luxury watchmaker to do. Whilst high-end brands may supply movements to other lesser-known brands, they will never make the entire watch for them in a licensing agreement.
Where Are Movado Watches Made?
Movado watches are all made in Switzerland. The watches the company is licensed to make on behalf of other brands are not always Swiss-made. However, any branded Movado watch is Swiss-made.
What Movements Do Movado Use?
Movado does not make its own in-house movements. They use a variety of different companies such as Sellita, Ronda & ETA. Each watch model will contain a different movement which depends upon its level of complications and specifications. The most high-end automatic Movado watches will always use ETA-based movements.
Are Movado Watches Real Gold?
No. Solid gold watches are both extremely heavy and expensive. Movado watches are gold ion-plated, which means that although it doesn’t use real gold, the watch plating will not wear away. If Movado watches were made of real gold they would be a minimum of 10x more expensive and likely a lot more.
What Is The Difference Between Movado & Movado Bold?
Movado watches are made from higher quality materials than Movado Bold watches. Bold watches are made from polymer metals which is an easy way of keeping costs down.
This can be seen in other brands such as Versace and Guess. Versace uses the “Versus Versace” collection to produce lower-cost watches, whereas Guess uses the “Gc” brand to promote their higher-end Swiss-made watches.
Movado is no different and uses Movado Bold to mass produce more inexpensive timepieces.
Why Are Movado Watches Expensive?
Movado watches are more expensive than other fashion watches because they are made in Switzerland by a very established brand.
If you are to compare Movado with a brand such as Hugo Boss or Emporio Armani, there is not really any competition in terms of watchmaking quality. Granted, both Boss & Armani surely make better clothes, wallets, and shoes, but this is what these brands are famous for. Movado on the other hand is purely known for making watches.
Using Swiss movements is a lot more expensive than using a Miyota based quartz movement.
Do Movado Watches Hold Value?
Overall this largely depends on the model. Movado are not a brand like Rolex or Audemars Piguet, therefore it would be stupid to think that they will go up in value or even hold a good percentage of their purchase price.
Brands such as Movado are mass-produced and are not sold as investments. Whilst you will likely not lose your shirt when buying any kind of Movado model, you will lose a good amount (40%~) of what you paid if you were to then sell your watch.
When comparing this with other fashion brands, it is really not that bad. Typically brands that use Japanese quartz movements easily lose 50% of their value once purchased from a retailer. This shouldn’t really put you off buying as your intention of buying a fashionable watch should not be to sell it.
Is Movado Still In Style?
Given that the Movado design was created in 1947, it is quite surprising that it is still used today. With that being said, of course Movado watches have evolved over time, but the core concepts remain the same.
Although Movado is a high-end fashion brand, their watches are still very well respected. Movado has never really been a brand that is insanely popular one year and then gone the next. The brand has a strong core identity and doesn’t really follow trends of complicated chronograph dials and vastly oversized cases.
Therefore it is difficult to say whether Movado is still in style. It certainly isn’t unfashionable, but neither is it hugely popular. In all likelihood, Movado will continue to follow its own path and not buy into the latest trends or styles.
The Best Movado Watches
Museum
Obviously the most classic and iconic of the Movado designs is the Museum. This is the most unchanged model since the inception of the original design. It is available in a variety of different dial colors, case metals, and various straps. However, the thing that remains constant throughout is the sleek minimalism of the appearance.
The museum does not bother with numbers around the dial, nor does it have any lume capabilities for visibility in the dark. Simply put, the watch is a smart/casual piece to be worn every day. Yes, it has a Swiss movement and is finished to a very high standard, but the main thing you are buying this watch for is its stripped-down and classic composition.
Bold
The Movado bold is the most versatile watch within the brand’s range of timepieces. It is available in almost every classic color combination such as black, stainless steel, gold, and rose gold (as well as a few others). There are various designs and sizes such as chronograph models and more smaller feminine alternatives for women.
The bold is the budget range of the brand and although is not really too cheap by any means. It is still a Swiss-made timepiece from a very reputable brand. This entry-level Swiss watch has a very similar dial design to the classic museum, albeit is a bit more modern.
Heritage
For those that want something by Movado which isn’t the classic circle dot design, the heritage is a great option. Similar to the bold and museum designs, the heritage doesn’t really have a bezel and is still pretty minimalist compared to other brands. However, its dial is a lot busier than your typical Movado watch.
For a start, the hands and hour indicators are both labeled and lumed. This is quite a stark contrast to the usual design which is simply quite plain and boring. Overall, the Heritage is mostly suitable for someone from the older generation. It is a classic style that will never really be at the peak of fashion, but neither will it look dated nor undesirable.
Connect
Running on WearOS, Movados smartwatch has the same hardware as any other model which is using the Google platform. This is only really a good thing as it comes equipped with various built-in apps that won’t have any compatibility issues such as Google Fit, Google pay, or simply Gmail.
Overall, you’re going to pay a bit extra for the Movado design, but it does not cost that much more than other fashionable smartwatch brands such as Michael Kors or Fossil. Of course, if you’re after practicality then you may well be better off buying something like a Garmin or Apple watch instead. But the Movado does have its place in this sphere due to its unique design.
Automatic
Movado was once a brand that prided itself on Swiss automatic watches. However, all of this changed during the quartz crisis of the 1970s in which non-luxury brands were either forced to move into quartz watches or face bankruptcy. Whilst Movado positioned itself well during the crisis, this has left the automatic watch market-facing mostly cheaper Japanese movements or very high-end movements that cost thousands of dollars.
Of course, this Movado model provides a nice alternative being a Swiss brand that makes something that is nowhere near as expensive as a Rolex. Movado uses ETA movements in their automatic watches which means they are certainly not a luxury but are super reliable. Overall, this watch is fairly expensive, but not too overpriced since you’re getting a solid movement from a solid brand.
