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The two watch brands Raymond Weil and Movado look somewhat similar on the surface. Both make relatively affordable watches that are neither loud nor oversized. They both focus on a classic look and branch out into their various collections from this starting point.

However, when comparing the watches side by side, there are subtle differences in style, price and level of quality.

The first differences begin in the structure of the companies. Raymond Weil is one of the last family-owned and independent watchmakers in Switzerland. Compared with other brands it has a relatively short history after being founded in 1976. It has a fairly narrow range of mostly classical styles of watches.

Movado on the other hand was founded in 1881 but has significantly changed since then. Under the Movado umbrella are brands such as Hugo Boss, Ebel & Tommy Hilfiger. Although these brands have their watches manufactured by Movado, they are separate entities and won’t be evaluated here.

Movado also produces its namesake watches which is also the name of the company “The Movado Group”. Unlike Raymond Weil, Movado has a large corporate structure and currently trades on the New York Stock Exchange.

Which Brand Is More Affordable? Raymond Weil or Movado?

Movado is almost always more affordable than Raymond Weil. This is because they use cheaper movements and are not a luxury brand.

It is rare for Raymond Weil watches to be extremely expensive, but they are still a luxury brand. By definition “luxury” brands are not affordable for the average person. They generally use more expensive materials, as well as novel concepts and engineering methods to make unique and novel timepieces.

Fashion brands on the other hand often take concepts from various watches and put them together in their own style. They generally do not make cheap watches that will fall apart but do not spend as much money on quality control when compared to luxury brands.

Check The Price Of Movado Watches On Amazon | Check The Price Of RW Watches On Amazon

What Are The Most Notable Watches Within Each Brand?

Movado

Bold

Movado Bold was originally designed to be the budget range of the Movado brand. It often used less expensive materials such as polymers rather than stainless steel. In more recent years it has become more of a fashion watch, slightly modernizing the style of the museum. Bold watches often have chronograph features, but this is not always the case.

Check Prices Of Movado Bold Watches On Amazon

Museum

The museum is the most iconic watch made by Movado. This watch was the first Movado model which has a large dot at the 12 o’clock position. This has since become commonplace and a defining feature of the Movado brand, but was first designed for the museum range. The design itself was created by American designer Nathan George Horwitt who claims to have been influenced heavily by Bahaus.

Check Price Of Movado Museum On Amazon

Raymond Weil

Freelancer

The Raymond Weil freelancer watch is towards the high end of the brand’s collection. Often featuring high-quality automatic movements, this is what sets the brand apart from lower-end brands which can’t quite reach the title of being called a “luxury watch”. The freelancer is generally quite modern in its style, which differentiates itself from the overall classic look you would expect from RW.

Check The Price Of Freelancer Watches On Amazon

Parsifal

Named after the last opera of Richard Wagner. The Raymond Weil parsifal is the classic watch of the brand and can be compared in importance with the Movado museum. It has iconic overly large crown guards so you will never have to worry about damaging your watch. The parsifal almost always has roman numerals on the dial and only comes in classic colors such as bi-metal or a deep blue dial.

Check The Price Of RW Parsifal Watches On Amazon

Who Makes Better Value Watches?

Movado is always cheaper than Raymond Weil. This is because they are a fashion brand that mostly uses Ronda movements. Ronda is a Swiss quartz movement and is very solid, it should however be noted that this is a cheaper movement than the ETA movements RW uses.

The more expensive watches within the Raymond Weil range are almost always Don Giovanni or Freelancer. These watches are usually priced in the mid 4 figures but use in-house developed movements which are produced by Sellita. Therefore the increase in price is legitimate as it takes more money to research, develop and construct these models.

In general, with Movado and Raymond Weil you will get what you paid for. If RW reduced their price to that of Movado, their watches would be a real bargain. Likewise, if Movado raised their prices to assimilate RW, their watches would not be good value at all.

As it stands, both brands offer fair value for money spent.

Which Brand Holds Its Value More?

Raymond Weil is typically more expensive than Movado. At the low end of the Raymond Weil range, you will be paying around $1000 for a brand new watch. At the high end of Movado, it will be very difficult to find a watch selling for more than $2000. Within the Raymond Weil freelancer collection, this would be very easy.

Therefore it goes without saying that you will almost certainly lose more value when buying a Raymond Weil. As a percentage though, there will not be much difference at all.

For example, you may buy a brand new RW Freelancer for $2500 and immediately lose $500 to depreciation. The same can be said for buying a watch such as a Movado Bold. If you spent $800, it will likely be worth $620 by the time you take it home from the store and remove the tags.

Neither brand should be considered investment watches (unless a rare special edition). They should both be bought because you like the brand and appreciate the design.

Are They Luxury Brands?

Raymond Weil is considered a low-end, entry-level luxury brand. This does not mean that it is a bad watch, but simply worse than other brands such as AP, Rolex, or Omega. There can be absolutely no doubt that the RW Don Giovanni Cosi Grande range are luxury watches. The prices range anywhere from $6000-$50000 per timepiece.

Movado is not really close to this level. The main way Movado makes its income is by manufacturing watches for other fashion brands. Its watches are usually slightly more expensive than these other brands, but the movements inside are no different.

Whilst Movado does have a classic and unique style, it is not a luxury brand. Raymond Weil can be considered a luxury brand, but obviously costs more money than Movado.

Who Has The Best Range Of Watches Available?

As expected, Movado has a wider range of watches for sale than Raymond Weil. This is very typical, as fashion brands tend to have very deep and wide catalogs of products. The difference is that once these styles are sold out, they typically will be replaced with newer models and are not reproduced. RW will keep producing the same products with minor variations to keep consistency with its brand name.

As of 2021, Movado currently had approximately 400 different watches for sale (200 men, 200 women) whereas Raymond Weil had around 180 (120 men, 60 women).

It would seem from the numbers presented that Raymond Weil is currently more popular with men than it is women, whereas Movado appeals to both genders equally.