31 Luxury Watch Brands You’re Mispronouncing

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When people (mainly Americans) discuss luxury watch brands from countries like Italy, Switzerland, and Germany, they are often bluffing on the pronunciation–but the native accent of the country of origin matters if accuracy is your goal! Today, we’ll cover how to correctly pronounce popular names in the world of luxury watches.

Commonly Mispronounced Luxury Watch Brands

Let’s go through 31 luxury watch brands alphabetically, and discuss the accents that contribute to how they are said.

1. A. Lange & Söhne

The Lange 1
The GRAND LANGE 1 “25th Anniversary”

This is a German watch brand established in the 1800s and later became nationalized. After the fall of the Berlin Wall and the demise of the GDR, the great-grandson of the founder re-registered the trademark in 1990. In English, it means A. Lange and Sons. It is pronounced AH LANG-eh und ZUH-neh. Notice the ampersand is pronounced und, because it’s German, and that there’s an umlaut on the o. Sometimes, I hear it as A Lonzh and Zohn, but that’s incorrect. It’s not a French pronunciation; it’s a German pronunciation.

2. Audemars Piguet

The Audemars Piguet Guide
Royal Oak Offshore Selfwinding Chronograph

Audemars Piguet has been family-owned since 1875. They’re probably most well known for introducing the first luxury sports watch in 1972, the still-popular Royal Oak. It is pronounced OH-deh-mahr Pi-GEH. It’s a silent s and a silent t. It’s a French pronunciation, which is shorter than some Americans or English speakers might think. The r is very quick and not really pronounced. It comes from the back of your throat, French style, not from the top of your tongue like in the English language or with a rolled r like the Italian. 

3. Baume et Mercier

Paul Mercier and William Baume
Paul Mercier and William Baume, co-founders

This Swiss brand was founded by the Baume brothers in 1830, and they partnered with Paul Mercier in 1918. So, how is it pronounced? BOHM Eh Mehr-SYEY. It’s quick; it’s not Mersee-ey. Again, r from your throat and silent r at the end. No English pronunciation here!

4. Blancpain

Blancpain
Blancpain L-Evolution Super Trofeo

Interestingly, the French name of this Swiss brand translates to “white bread.” It originally started in 1735 and has undergone many name changes, but eventually ended back up at Blancpain, which is now owned by the Swatch Group. They produce fewer than 30 watches a day, and each watch is made by one watchmaker. It is pronounced Blohn-Pehn. It’s not Blon-pohn or Blank-pain.

5. Breguet

Vintage Breguet Pocket Watch
A fine and rare 18ct gold open face automatic pocket watch with power reserve made for Coco Chanel’s French lover, Paul Iribe

This brand, founded in 1775 in Paris, is now also owned by the Swatch Group. The well-regarded company of Breguet invented the first self-winding watch and the first wristwatch in the world. It’s pronounced BREH-geh. It is quicker then an American might say it, like Bre-GAE or Bri-GEIT, but this is incorrect. So, the t is silent, the r comes from the throat. 

6. Breitling

Breitling for Bentley Supersport
Breitling for Bentley Supersport [Image Credit: A Blog to Watch]

This is a Swiss watch company, but it’s pronounced as though it were German. It is not Bright-ling, it is BREIT-ling. It’s the same throat r, it’s not a frontal r.

7. Carl F. Bucherer

vlcsnap-Carl F. Bucherer
Manero Peripheral – first watch to house Carl F. Bucherer’s second workshop-crafted movement

This watch brand was founded by its namesake in 1888 in Lucerne, Switzerland. It is still family-owned, and one of the oldest and most long-standing Swiss watchmaking companies that is still under the control of the family. English speakers may naturally pronounce it as Carl F. Buk-her-er, but the ch in German is pronounced with a throatier quality. So, CARL F. BUCH-ehr-ehr. Again, rolled in the r in the back of your throat.

8. Cartier

Gold Cartier watch, Fort Belvedere cufflinks and a Fort Belvedere collar clip
A gold Cartier watch, Fort Belvedere cufflinks and a Fort Belvedere collar clip pull together the metal elements of an outfit when worn together

Even though their first watch was named “Santos,” after Alberto Santos-Dumont, Cartier are probably most well-known for the Tank Watch and the variations of it. The design for the tank watch was inspired by the Renault tanks from the Western Front of World War I. In the US, many people pronounce it Car-di-yey; they change the t to a d and make it longer in the end, but it is actually Cahr-tyeh. The r again comes from the back of the throat, not the front, and the t is a little harder. Overall, it’s a little shorter than Car-di-yey; it’s Cahr-TYEH

9. Chopard

Chopard L.U.C. “Perpetual T”
Chopard L.U.C. “Perpetual T”

This company has been owned by the German Scheufele family since 1963. It is pronounced Sho-pahr. So, the d in the end is silent; it’s not Sho-pahrd, and the r again comes from the back. 

10. Frederique Constant

Frederique Constant and Cohiba - Limited Edition Watch + Humidor Set
Frederique Constant and Cohiba – Limited Edition Watch + Humidor Set [Image Credit: Luxuo]

Founded by a married couple in 1988, this brand considers itself to represent affordable luxury in watches. It is pronounced Freh-deh-RIQUE Cohn-STOHN. So again, silent t in the end and the r comes from your throat. Overall, like most French names, a bit shorter than most Americans would make them. 

11. Girard-Perregaux

Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945
Girard-Perregaux Vintage 1945

This Swiss luxury watch manufacturer started in 1791. It’s a prominent brand in the world of high-quality mechanical watches. It is pronounced Zhi-RAHR Peh-reh-GOH. Again, the x is silent, the Rs come from the back, and it’s a bit shorter.

12. Glashütte Original

Glashutte Original Senator Chronometer Regulator
Glashutte Original Senator Chronometer Regulator [Image Credit: Monochrome]

Glashütte in German means as much as “glassworks,” and it’s actually a town in Germany that is the center of the German watchmaking industry today. Owned by the Swatch group, it’s one of the few brands that still uses their own movements. So, how is it pronounced? Glahs-HU-teh Oh-rih-gih-NAHL; u has an umlaut, so it’s Glahs-HU-teh, and they’re not “original,” but Oh-rih-gih-NAHL. It’s a German pronunciation. Again you have that r from the throat, but it’s a little longer than the French would say it.

13. Hublot

$3 million Hublot Big Bang Watch
$3 million Hublot Big Bang Watch

Established in 1980, this watchmaker is now owned by Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy–the French luxury conglomerate. The brand name directly translates to “porthole” in English. It’s pronounced Oo-bloh. So, the h is silent, the typical French way, and it’s pronounced very quickly. The h, as well as the t, are silent.

14. IWC Schaffhausen

Actually, the first part of the brand is the abbreviation for International Watch Company, and Schaffhausen is a town in Switzerland where this company is from. People there speak Swiss German, and they call the brand EE-VEH-TSEH Shof-HOU-zen.

IWC Portugieser Chronograph
IWC Portugieser Chronograph

The company was actually co-founded in 1868 by an American so you could make the argument that it would be called I-W-C Schaffhausen. In Germany, i is more pronounced like ee, and w is more pronounced like the English v. The sch sound in German is always a shh, never a ssk. So, it’s always Shof-HOU-zen.

15. Jaeger-LeCoultre

This brand is arguably one of the most accomplished watchmakers in the world, with more than a thousand movements to their name. Probably, the watch they’re most famous for is the Reverso watch, and I have an original model. As a note of historical curiosity, however (and because of a quirk related to import duties of the time), it bears only the LeCoultre name.

LeCoultre Watch with Silver Fort Belvedere Monkey's Fist Cufflinks
Raphael’s vintage LeCoultre Reverso, paired with silver monkey’s fist knot cufflinks from Fort Belvedere

So, how is it pronounced? Most Americans would say Yay-ger Leh-cul-trah. However, the French pronunciation is Zhe-ZHURH(r) Lih-COULT(reh). So the first r is very silent, it comes from the throat (but it’s almost not there). The e in the end is silent as well. That being said, if you go to an American watch store and you ask for a Jaeger-LeCoultre watch using this pronunciation, they probably will look at you and ask, “You want a Yay-ger Leh-cul-trah watch?” Alternatively, you just say, “Get me a JLC,” people will usually understand that!

16. Longines

Longines Comet Automatic
Longines Comet Automatic

This Swiss watchmaker was founded in 1832. Counterfeiting was an issue for Longines as early as the 1880s, and so they came up with the winged hourglass logo, which they trademarked in 1889. Today, it is the oldest unchanged, still active trademark in the world. The name is pronounced Lohn-zheen. The important part is that it’s rather short and quick.

17. Louis Moinet

Louis Moinet
Louis Moinet – a legendary watchmaker

This brand was named after the French inventor of the chronograph. Today, their watches are anything but understated, and the brand is pronounced Loo-EE MWAH-neh, with a silent s and silent t.

18. Maurice Lacroix

Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Le Chronographe Squelette
Maurice Lacroix Masterpiece Le Chronographe Squelette

This brand was founded in 1975 by Desco von Schulthess. It’s pronounced Moh-REISS Lah-KWAH. Silent x in the end, and r from the back–a little shorter and not as pronounced.

19. Montblanc

Montblanc Starwalker ballpoint pen
Montblanc Starwalker ballpoint pen

The brand name refers to the highest mountain in Europe (in France), and even though they’re originally famous for fountain pens, they’ve also started introducing luxury watches. Interestingly, despite its French-sounding name, it is actually a German brand that is now part of the Richemont Group. So, how is it pronounced? Not Mont-blank or Mont-blong. It is pronounced Mohn-blohn. It means “white mountain” translated to English.

20. Omega

Astronaut Wally Schirra wearing his Omega Speedmaster during training
Astronaut Wally Schirra wearing his Omega Speedmaster during training

The Omega brand is from Beil in Switzerland, and the German pronunciation would be Oh-MEH-gah. However, it’s more French, so it’s OH-meh-gah. The English might say Oh-MAY-guh, but that’s wrong. You can see that the e is slightly longer, and it’s a very French sound.

21. Panerai

Panerai Luminor 1950 Rattrapante
Panerai Luminor 1950 Rattrapante

This is brand is somewhat exotic, in the sense that it is an Italian brand. Here, the r comes from the front of your tongue and the end is elongated. So, it’s Pah-ne-RAI.

22. Patek Philippe

The 2015 Patek Philippe Calatrava Reference 5153R 001
The 2015 Patek Philippe Calatrava

This Swiss luxury watch brand was founded in 1839, and the most expensive watch ever sold at auction was a Patek Philipe, for $31 million in 2019. Today, the brand is considered to be one of the most prestigious watchmakers in the world, part of the “Big Three,” or the so-called “Holy Trinity,” with Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin. It is pronounced Pah-TEK Fih-LEEP. Again, shorter overall in the syllables.

23. Piaget

Piaget Altiplano Automatic Small Seconds Date
Piaget Altiplano Automatic Small Seconds Date

This Swiss watchmaker was founded in 1874, and is well regarded for the thinness of their watch movements. So, how is it pronounced? PYAH-zhey(not Pee-ah-jet). The t is silent.

24. Richard Mille

Richard Mille RM-27-01 watch worn by Rafael Nadal
Richard Mille RM-27-01 watch worn by Rafael Nadal

This Swiss watch wasn’t established until 2001, but their watches are very bold and very expensive. It’s pronounced the French way, REE-shar MEEL. It’s not pronounced Ri-shar Miyeh, or Richard Mill. It’s very soft, gentle, and French.

25. Roger Dubuis

Roger Dubuis Excalibur 42_
Roger Dubuis Excalibur 42 Automatic

Founded in 1995 by its namesake and a partner, this watch brand is also bold and focuses on adrenaline, in their own words. It’s not Roh-jer Du-bois, but: Roh-ZHAY Du-BWEE. Again, r from the throat, and the s is silent in the back.

26. Rolex

Hans Wilsdorf - The man behind Rolex
Hans Wilsdorf – The German behind Rolex

Rolex is probably the most well-recognized luxury watch brand in the world. The brand was established in England by the German, Hans Wilsdorf. At that time, most watch brands would simply use the family name of the founder, but Hans Wilsdorf had the foresight of creating a brand that was easily pronounceable around the world.

Rolex Datejust
A pre-owned Rolex Datejust

It is pronounced correctly as Ro-lex–very English or American. One could also argue that because Wilsdorf was German, you could pronounce it in a German way (Hro-lex), but the more common pronunciation that you can also see on their own YouTube videos and ads is Ro-lex

27. TAG Heuer

TAG Heuer Formula 1 Grande Date Black Dial Watch
TAG Heuer Formula 1 Grande Date Black Dial Watch

Partially founded in 1860, TAG stands for Techniques d’Avant Garde. Heuer, on the other hand, was a different company (which bore its founder’s last name), and those companies merged together in 1985. It’s pronounced in a very German way: TAHG HOY-eh(r). The eu in German is always an oy

28. Tudor

Tudor is known for using the ETA movements
Tudor is known for using the ETA movements

One could argue whether Tudor is a luxury watch brand or simply just a poor man’s Rolex, but it was also created by Hans Wilsdorf with the same idea: that it would be something that could be pronounced easily around the world. The German pronunciation would be TOO-dohr, but the English pronunciations are TOO-dur (in American English) and TYOO-dur (in British English).

29. Ulysse Nardin

Ulysse Nardin Sonata Streamline
Ulysse Nardin Sonata Streamline

Founded in 1846, this brand is well known for its nautical timepieces. It’s pronounced Ooh-LEESE Nahr-DAHN. Again the r from the back, and the n is silent. It’s not Yu-les-es or Yu-les, but Ooh-LEESE.

30. Vacheron Constantin

Vacheron Constantin are simple but detailed
Vacheron Constantin are simple but detailed

Next to Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin considered to be the third part of the “Holy Trinity” in the watchmaking world today. Founded in 1755, their Patrimony line of watches is probably their most famous. It’s pronounced Vah-sheh-ROHN Kohn-stahn-tahn.

31. Zenith

Zenith Elite Ultra Thin Watch
Zenith Elite Ultra Thin Watch

This is another Swiss watch brand, founded in 1865, and the German pronunciation would be Tse-NEET, but it’s pronounced the French way, which is Zeh-NEET. So, it’s a softer z like the Americans would say it, but the th is more like a soft t; not Ze-NEETH, but Zeh-NEET.

Conclusion

Correctly pronouncing luxury watch brands can help you confidently converse about them, and may also help you when purchasing. Just give these brands a little practice, and you’ll sound like a luxury watch connoisseur in no time! By the way: if you’re interested in whether luxury brands are worth their money–for example, a Rolex watch–you can check out the video below. You can also view our other extensive product reviews in our “Is It Worth It” series here.

Have you struggled with any of these pronunciations in the past? Let us know in the comments!

Outfit Rundown

I’m wearing a double-breasted suit that was custom made for me out of a Vitale Barberis Canonico fabric, it’s a flannel with a windowpane that is very unusual. I’m pairing it with a white double cuff shirt, a knit tie and navy and light blue and a pocket square in white with blue cross stitches so it picks up the blue tones of the tie. I’m also wearing moral boots in black with calf nappa leather, as well as a suede insert and gray shoelaces that tied together, the suit as well as my watch which is a 1930s stainless steel Reverso watch from LeCoultre.

Now interesting, I paid attention the brand is called Jaeger-LeCoultre and some people might think, well it’s just a LeCoultre watch. It was actually from before those two companies merged or that’s not the case. The research was simpler, it had to do with duties and taxes at the time when you would import watches to the US and they were assembled here it was a lot less expensive than importing the whole watch to the US and so they just created this said brand LeCoultre for a short amount of time and later it became Jaeger-LeCoultre or Jager-LeCoultre as most Americans would say.

Raphael in a custom-made flannel windowpane suit
Raphael in a custom-made flannel windowpane suit
Mid Grey Boot Laces Round Waxed Cotton

Fort Belvedere

Mid Grey Boot Laces Round Waxed Cotton

Monkey Fist Knot Cufflinks - 925 Sterling Silver Platinum Plated

Fort Belvedere

Monkey Fist Knot Cufflinks – 925 Sterling Silver Platinum Plated

Two-Tone Knit Tie in Navy and Light Blue Changeant Silk - Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

Two-Tone Knit Tie in Navy and Light Blue Changeant Silk

White Linen Pocket Square with Navy Blue Handrolled X Stitch Fort Belvedere

Fort Belvedere

White Linen Pocket Square with Navy Blue Handrolled X Stitch

I really like the watch because it’s the original of an iconic shape and it is smaller; the most Reverso watches you will find today. I like to wear the watch with dark business suits or in the evening because of its black colored accents. To create a harmony between the watch and my outfit, it shows a sterling silver of Monkey Fist knot cufflinks which are silver that work well with my black boots and the black and silver watch combination.

Reader Comments

  1. Useful post, as always, but I have to say: If, as an American you go around pronouncing Breitling with that guttural German ‘r’, you’d sound pretty ridiculous.

    A bit like all those earnest NPR reporters who always try to pronounce country’s names like native-speakers, clumsily rolling their Spanish ‘r’s – it’s frankly silly and pretentious! As long as you get the vowels right, ‘bright’, not ‘breet’ in Breathing for example, you’ll sound fine.

  2. Very good as usual Raphael. However, you pronounce Tudor as TOO – DUH, which is an American pronunciation. Since it is from English history and is an English brand, it should be pronounced TYOO – DUH. In the same way. Americans watch the NOOS (news) whereas Britain and the Commonwealth say NYOOS.

    1. Good point. It is difficult with these brands as it was a German who founded it…

  3. As a Paneristi, I find it slightly insulting that with all the rich history of Panerai watches you gave no information other than how to pronounce the R. You spent time on virtually every brand giving a slight introduction made no mention to the Rich history of this brand.

    1. The title says it all, it is about the pronunciation, not the history. Breitling had even less of an introduction not because they don’t have a rich history but because it is not the point. As you feel insulted by something like this, I am frankly a bit worried about you.

      1. I was surprised to see how easy this was by just knowing French pronunciation and a few German words (like “new” (new). Thanks for posting. Some of the Swiss pronunciations were a little bit tougher.

  4. Very interesting video. As a “semi-knowledgable” watch guy and collector, I surprisingly found the material to be both informative and somewhat entertaining. In other words, you kept my interest. I don’t often pass along things like this to others as no one likes to see their inbox filled, but I made an exception in this case. Nice work. Think I am going to keep this video on file for a while and refer back to it on a regular basis just to brush up on my foreign language skills. Take care, stay healthy and all the best for your continued success.

  5. Interesting and informative as always. One more though … what is the correct pronunciation of Bulgari?

  6. Awesome video! Very informative, even beyond the pronunciations. I will still get most of the pronunciations wrong, but I know where to go if I want to get it right.

  7. Dear Gentleman’s Gazette,
    I am an 15 year old boy , living in Romania. I usually wear chinos, chukka boots and a polo shirt, untucked, because my dad says so. And that is my problem witch i want to tel you about. My parents dislike dressing up, and i understand that that is a personal preference, but why can’t i dress a little bit more if i want to. This Saturday, on Orthodox Easter Evening, we had our family dinner, with the Easter traditions. I showed up in a pair of chinos, oxford shirt, and a casual knitted navy blazer. I asked my father what he thought, and he said i was exaggerated, and that I should lose the blazer and just stay in the shirt or put a t-shirt on. This isn’t the first time that this happens , an although i am not that formally dressed, at any occasions(i am not allowed to wear a tie even at weddings), my parents still keep saying that i am dressed over the top.
    How can i deal with these sorts of situations?

  8. It was an interesting presentation. I forgot how many brands of high-end watches were available. Under Longines, you wrote “Counterfeiting was an issue for Longines as early as the 1880s, and so they came up with the winged hourglass logo, which they trademarked in 1880. Today, it is the oldest unchanged, still active trademark in the world.” That may be so for watches but; I can think of the cross swords of Meissen which began its use in 1722. They did not have the mechanical sameness since they were hand-done, so I would give a little leeway to whether the hilt is curved slightly differently from piece to piece or year to year.

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