When talking about luxury watches, an underrated name brand that doesn’t pop up as much as other brands is Movado. But when people do talk about Movado, watch enthusiasts often wonder why Movado watches are expensive, and after I did my own research about the brand, I have found several reasons why.
| Reasons Why Movado Watches Are Expensive |
1. Watch Materials 2. Unique Design 3. Brand Recognition 4. Reliable Swiss Movements 5. Packaging |
Read on to view the full article where I break down each reason why Movado watches are expensive.
1. Watch Materials
One of the most prominent reasons why Movado watches are expensive is because of the materials they use. Movado timepieces are equipped with high-quality stainless steel, gold, leather, and diamonds, which has directly influenced the price of Movado’s expensive price point.
Movado uses these sought-after precious metals to craft their outer case, bracelets, dial, and internal moving parts, and they use genuine leather to make their leather straps.
Another material on Movado watches that makes them expensive is the sapphire crystal (the clear sapphire glass) on the front of the watch. For example, the Movado “Sapphire” watch, which costs around $2,000, only has a quartz movement and 30-meters of water resistance, which is sub-par. What you are really paying for (for this specific timepiece) is the materials used to make the watch like the large sapphire crystal and stainless steel casing.
However, watch bracelets and straps are often confused with each other and people just getting into the watch hobby don’t know the big differences between them. If you have ever wondered what the difference is between a watch strap and a watch bracelet, click here to view the full in-depth article that I made just for you.
2. Unique Design
One reason that plays into the price of Movado watches is their unique design. Movado watches have a simple, yet memorable and elegant emphasis on design. The staple design for Movado is that instead of having an analog or numerical display on the dial, they simply have a shiny metal dot where the 12 o’clock marker is, and nothing else. Their
The reason why their design makes their watches more expensive is that it is not found on any other watch brand, which will make the ones who wear Movado timepieces stand out above everyone.
In my personal opinion, I am a fan of Movado’s watch design. Even though plenty of watch enthusiasts do not like the design of current Movado watches, I think their simple and elegant style really speaks to me, and I would honestly be fine wearing one of their timepieces. I believe that plenty of their watches are versatile and can be worn with pretty much any outfit, but Movado wouldn’t be my number one go-to option.
3. Brand Recognition
Movado is a recognizable and well-known watch brand. Throughout the 1980s and the 1990s, Movado was known as a powerhouse in the luxury watch industry for its bold, fashionable, and minimal look. Because of their popularity as a brand, the prices of their watches are more expensive.
While they are still recognized as a stylish Swiss watch brand today, they are not as popular because of the increase in popularity of other watch manufacturers like Rolex, Omega, Patek Philippe, Richard Mille, and so on.
The reason being is because watch enthusiasts and lovers see that Movado is putting less effort into their timepieces than they previously have been: Movado has shifted away from their horological history and is moving toward a fashion-forward brand instead, which many people are not fond of.
Personally, I think that Movado can make some drastic improvements to their watch brand as a whole. I believe that if they go back to their original, horological designs they used in the past and utilized more automatic movements than quartz movements, then they will gain increased popularity among watch enthusiasts and be more respected as a brand.
4. Reliable Swiss Movements
Movado watches use reliable Swiss movements that are durable and long-lasting, which has increased their price. More specifically, Movado utilizes a combination of both quartz movements (battery-powered) and automatic movements. Because of their great watch movements, Movado watches are generally higher priced than other brands.
The Movado Strato, one of Movado’s most popular watch models, is equipped with a Swiss quartz movement and is priced at around $2,000. On the other hand, the Movado Red Label, another popular watch model, has an automatic movement. This shows that Movado is versatile and utilizes high-quality automatic and quartz movements, which has influenced their higher price.
As I’ve done my own research and viewed reviews about Movado watches, a common theme that is found throughout all of them is that Movado’s Swiss movements are accurate, and long-lasting, which is why they mark up their prices on their timepieces.
If you’ve ever wondered how much your should service a luxury watch, I have written just the article for you. In the article, I give you the direct answer to when you should service an automatic watch or a quartz watch. Click here to view the post.
5. Packaging
One overlooked feature that plays a part in the expensive price of Movado watches is their packaging. Movado watches are usually placed in a clean and simple black box, which really reflects Movado’s minimal design.
As I did my own research, Movado watch packaging isn’t too expensive, but for some of their best packaging, for example, their leather watch boxes, they can cost as much as $175 for the box alone! In my opinion, that is a substantial price for just the box for a brand like Movado. If Movado’s best packaging cost under $100, I would feel much better about it. Nonetheless, Movado is still a solid watch brand.
My Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, I believe that Movado is a solid luxury watch brand and there are several factors that make them more expensive than other watch brands out there: their durable swiss movement and unique watch design make them a sought-after watch brand.