12 Top Luxury Italian Watch Brands

Like Switzerland, Germany, and Japan, Italy also plays an important role in the world of quality watchmaking. Style, luxury, and manufacturing come together in Made in Italy.

Here are the most famous Italian watch brands.

Panerai

The Made in Italy watches are par excellence. Panerai was born in Florence in 1860 and has been producing diving watches for the Navy for over 50 years. In 1997 the company was bought by Richemont who integrated tradition with the most modern techniques, remaining among the most famous brands of underwater models.

The models, in detail, are made following a classic and harmonious style that has always distinguished this famous brand. Wrist chronographs are a real specialty of this company with products that are always in step with the times and that leave nothing to be desired from any point of view.

In particular, among the most interesting models, one cannot fail to mention the Luminor Base made entirely of satin steel with scratch-resistant glass in pure sapphire. The dial is black with Arabic numerals and luminescent indexes for an impeccable style recognizable in all circumstances.

Anonimo

The Anonimo luxury watch brand cannot be overlooked among the Tuscan brands. Anonimo watches was founded in 1997 by Federico Massacesi, from the Ferragamo company, and Dino Zei, a former soldier and CEO of Panerai, before the Italian brand became part of the Vendôme Group and, subsequently, of the Richemont Group.

Thanks to the tradition of the Florentine watchmakers, and to the old Panerai production plants, Federico Massacesi created the “Anonimo” brand with the experience of the famous Ambuchi family.

Since the beginning of this new industrial adventure, Anonimo watches have stood out in two particular aspects: they inherit the skill of Florentines in making watches for professionals and their long tradition in building diving watches. Deep diving is in fact their specialty.

Bulgari

Founded in Rome in 1884, Bulgari is one of the most popular companies in the sector, although it does not specialize exclusively in watchmaking, but rather in luxury goods.

The business is carried on by Bulgari Time SA, founded in 1980 and based in Switzerland. Swiss technique and Italian class come together in their models. the brand has opened a development center in Switzerland for the creation of its in-house movements, one of the most interesting being the Octo Finissimo Tourbillon with a thickness of less than 2mm.

The timepieces of this brand are made with many materials such as stainless steel, gold, ceramic, and titanium. Among its most renowned collections are the iconic Octo, ultra-thin models with an octagonal case.

U-Boat

Among the automatic Italian watches, we certainly cannot overlook U-Boat. U-Boat is part of the group of Italian luxury watches and was born 18 years ago from the passion of Italo Fontana, who inherited the family passion: grandfather Ilvo created a prototype for the Italian Navy in 1942.

A young brand (the first watch dates back to 1999) designed for Navy pilots; its irregular crown makes it usable even with gloves on. Among the most famous U-Boat watches, we have the Capsule 50, equipped with a 50mm diameter titanium case. 288 copies were made, all sold.

Among the fans of this brand are Giorgio Armani, James Blunt, David Beckham, and Tom Cruise. U-Boats are undoubtedly among the famous Italian watches and one of the most original Italian watch manufacturers.

TB Buti

TB Buti is an Italian luxury watch brand, founded in 2001 by Tommaso Buti, in the historic center of Florence. In just a few years, the brand has become an important name at an international level in the wristwatch and fashion sector.

Brightly colored dials and straps are one of the modern features of these watches. Made in Italy handcrafted products, with Swiss technological movements are assembled with meticulous precision in the Florentine laboratory by a team of skilled watchmakers. Steel, gold, black, and blue or sandblasted titanium, but also the very light carbon are the materials used to make the cases.

The cases, dials, and straps are the result of the constant search for innovative solutions, with a tribute to luxury even in the models characterized by the presence of hand-mounted diamonds.

Officina del Tempo

Officina del Tempo is an Italian watch brand, launched in 2000 by a company from Senigallia, in the province of Ancona. The brand offers watches entirely designed and made in Italy, characterized by continuous aesthetic research and the use of first-rate materials, without ever losing sight of the attention to detail and finishings.

Officina del tempo signs many collections of chronographs and wristwatches where nothing is left to chance: a single piece is available in at least 9-12 months from its conception and before delivery, it undergoes further changes that make it a unique and valuable object.

The offer ranges from models of the Sail Collection, watches with a nautical flavor with hands visible even in the dark and leather, steel and carbon, or hypoallergenic gel straps, to the examples of the Race series, made for men and women with an octagonal case in titanium and Swiss quartz chronograph movement.

Fendi

Fendi was founded in 1925 in Rome by the two founders Edoardo Fendi and Adele Casagrande. Its international rise began after World War II with stores opened in Houston, New York, and Bal Harbor, making itself known above all for its famous bags. It has been in the watch business since the 1980s.

In addition to the traditional ranges of watches, Fendi has recently presented three new lines of “swiss made” watches with a glamorous and sumptuous style: the Spy models inspired by the brand’s bag of the same name, are made with a rigid bracelet in woven leather, a dial veiled by a cover in white or yellow gold and complete with a mirror to admire one’s reflection, while the sumptuous collection of B. Fendi Pave XL jewelry watches, as the name suggests, is studded with precious stones such as diamonds, sapphires, and rubies; finally, the Selleria models are equipped with a leather strap, a steel dial and 18 k white gold embellished with diamonds.

Breil

Brand of the Binda Group, founded in 1906, Breil began its rise in 1942 with the first model that took its name from a Swiss location. It is an Italian brand with a decidedly unmistakable style.

A watch that lasts over time and that has redesigned the concept of steel. Breil watches are at the forefront and anticipate trends, always remaining a great classic for those who want a quality watch.

Breil watches are models that boast different peculiarities, all have very sophisticated designs, the steel models are flashy and fine, among the women’s models we find the style of jewel watches among the most popular. Breil jewel watches are made to offer a touch of elegance to the wrist of women, who can use these models as real fashion accessories.

Emporio Armani

Giorgio Armani is an emblematic figure for the world of international high fashion and the historical and cultural landscape. The company was founded in 1975 by Giorgio Armani for the production of luxury fashion and accessories such as eyewear, jewelry, and watches.

Among the most popular accessories, there are certainly the Emporio Armani watches created since 1997, which are mainly divided into two categories: Fashion Watches and Swiss Made Watches. These two collections or categories include watches of the most disparate style.

We find elegant and functional models such as the Swiss Made. While for the Fashion line we find different models such as the watch with quartz movement or the watch with a refined and contemporary look.

Dolce & Gabbana

Dolce & Gabbana is one of those iconic brands that represent high fashion all over the world. The company was founded in 1985 in Legnano, by the stylists Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The Dolce & Gabbana fashion house launched the first line of watches in 2000.

The Dolce & Gabbana watch collection is divided into Men’s Watches and Women’s Watches, both categories include very diversified models that still maintain a very marked style and identity, despite being versatile in terms of combinations. The price range is also very varied, ranging from models in steel with ruby, to the exclusive gold and diamond pavé watch.

Locman

Locman was founded in 1986 on Elba Island, with headquarters in Marina del Campo. It is undoubtedly one of the largest among the Italian watch brands. Locman watches offer is wide; is a consolidated reality and for some years has added some rather refined limited editions to the best sellers Stealth and Montecristo: the cases of the Locman Montecristo in a chronograph version and the Locman Montecristo Moon, equipped with a manual winding mechanical movement.

Locman laid the foundations to become a watchmaking manufacturer by building in 2006 the SIO, an acronym for the Italian School of Watchmaking, which aims to train new watchmakers and update the service network. Locman has also been a partner of Ducati Motor for two years, with which it creates a dedicated collection of luxury watches.

Ennebi

Among the handcrafted wristwatches, Ennebi undoubtedly stands out. The history of Ennebi watches is probably the most interesting among those concerning the city of Florence and the entire school of Tuscan luxury watches because it has its roots in the Italian and Tuscan industrial culture of the beginning of the last century. Alessandro Bettarini and Luciano Nincheri are the minds behind the Ennebi project, or NB, just like the initials of the two founders’ surnames.

The Italian luxury watch brand Ennebi is one of the most important manufacturers of professional diving mechanical watches, which exude all the experience of the famous Florentine mechanical turners and feature Swiss automatic movements. The latest example of this niche Italian watch brand is the Seimila Metri with a 49.4mm diameter dial and titanium case.