Davosa is an independent Swiss watch brand that has been around for more than three decades. The family business that built it, however, has been around since 1883.
In this article, we’ll talk about everything Davosa—it’s beginnings and collections, as well as its reputation among watch collectors and experts. We’ll take a closer look at some of its best models, and also provide links on where you can purchase them.
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Davosa Brand History
Davosa’s story started in 1883 with Paul Hasler, son of watchmaker Abel Frédéric Hasler. Paul got into the watchmaking business after his father, a watchmaker who created silver watchcases and brothers who also had watchmaking businesses.
In 1917, Paul Hasler built the Paul Hasler Terminages d’Horlogerie, which assembled watches for popular watch brands. In 1946, the company Hasler Frères was established, which Paul founded with brother David, Hasler—the company created its own watch movements and supplied watches to the United States.
The watchmaking business was passed on to Paul’s sons Wilfred and Eric Hasler, who eventually became partners in the company. Together they continued to create mechanical watches which slowly became popular in both the US and Europe. in 1974, the company changed its name to Hasler & Co. S.A., and started to include quartz watches to its products.
It was in the early 1990s when Davosa was officially introduced by the company, partnering with Friedrich-Wilhelm Bohle, a German watch distributor. This was during a period that the demand for mechanical watches was high, and so the company created chronographs with the Valjoux 7750 and 7751 movements. In 1998, Davosa made its debut at Basel. Since then, the brand continued to grow and produce new models, which we will talk about in detail below.
Davosa watches did not stop evolving. The company continued to push forward and create high-quality watches, such as the Argonautic Dual Time, which was once attached to a balloon and reached a height of 35,000m, returning intact and fully functional.
Today, according to the brand’s US website, the company remains family-run to ensure high standards in watchmaking.
Davosa Watch Collections
Davosa has an extensive collection of watches, mostly concentrating on sports and pilot watches. They are divided into five categories (Diving, Pilot, Performance, Ladies, Executive) which we’ll take a closer look at below.
Diving Collection
Davosa’s dive watch collection aims to be a “tough and reliable companion for every diver, water sports and outdoor aficionado.” With a number of sub-collections, the brand’s underwater watches boast of durability and precision.
There’s the Argonautic line, with watches that are anti-glare and designed with a 15-minute scale on the bezel. The watches also have a Super-LumiNova BG W9, which ensures visibility underwater. These watches can be comfortably worn on top of a wetsuit, and have a manual helium escape valve. Check out the different styles and colors here.
Another line from the diving collection is the Apnea Diver. In 2014, the brand sponsored free diver and record holder Nikolay Linder. The Apnea Diver line was developed in collaboration with Linder, so the watch is equipped with features for freediving.
One of Davosa’s latest models is the Argonautic Bronze TT, which is limited to only 300 pieces. The creation of this watch follows the success of the previous year’s Davosa Argonautic bronze model, which sold out quickly. You can learn more about the line here.
Check out all of Davosa’s dive watch sub-collections here.
Pilot Collection
Davosa has a wide range of pilot watches—legible and accurate timepieces that have a vintage aesthetic with modern features. There’s the Newton Pilot collection, which pays tribute to Isaac Newton’s and other scientists’ and navigators’ contributions to discoverers.
The pilot watch collection has five sub-categories: the Newton Pilot, Newton Pilot Moonphase Chronograph, and the Newton Pilot Day-Date Automatic, and the Neoteric Pilot, and the Aviator Quartz. Check out all of them here.
One of the most popular lines from the collection is the Neoteric Pilot, which has the classic look of a pilot’s watch. The 42mm models, which have blue, brown, and black dials, have legible Arabic numeral makers. The watches also have a minute track in their inner circles (available in red, yellow, and orange colors). To add to the vintage look, there’s also the sleek leather strap. See all models here.
The Newton Pilot Day-Date Automatic Watch was given mostly a thumbs up in this review, which highlights the attractive sunray dial, the day window placement at 12 o’clock.
Performance Collection
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The Performance collection is dedicated to those who need watches for the outdoors. There’s the Military Automatic line, a collection of tool watches with a vintage look reminiscent of classic pilot watches.
There’s also the Trailmaster line, watches that are excellent for those (like hikers) who need a watch that’s legible but light—a slim but big watch that can accompany adventurers to long adventures.
Another light collection of watches is the Titanium collection, which has watches that are robust and masculine, but also extremely durable, and is lighter than stainless steel. These watches are not only for adventures, however. Davosa also recommends this for a professional setting—the watches will look good outdoors, but will be excellent when matched with a business suit.
The Axis Automatic collection has durable, scratch-resistant watches that have a black-plated stainless steel case. These watches are legible, having bold Arabic numeral markers and powered with SuperLuminova for easier reading in dark environments. One of the most unique features of these watches is the leather strap that runs under the case, which means that it protects the bottom surface, giving extra protection.
Ladies Collection
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Davosa concentrates on big watches, but it has a line that’s composed mostly of timepieces that are designed for women or anyone with smaller wrists.
The Davosa Newton Lady line is composed of 34mm watches that are elegant and functional, having a striking mother of pearl dial and a guilloche design on the center of the watch. The watches have luminescent dots and is equipped with a SuperLuminoba BGW9.
Those who are looking for a bigger size but maintain a feminine look, there’s the Grande Diva collection. The watches under this line are 42mm skeletonized models that have a stainless steel case, gemstones, and a transparent case back.
The Ladies collection also includes the Audrey Quartz watches, which have round and flat stainless steel case that’s reminiscent of the iconic actress’ sunglasses. Like Audrey Hepburn’s elegance, these watches have a white mother of pearl face and zircon gems on the bezel. According to Davosa’s website, the leather straps were made by hand for the company by a small leather goods manufacturer.
Executive Collection
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The watches from Davosa’s Executive collection are made for those looking for a watch that can be worn in both professional and casual settings. One line from the collection is the Gentleman Automatic, a classic dress watch that has a classic design that has a case size that can easily slip under the cuff when needed. These watches are excellent for those who want a simple yet elegantly designed watch to wear daily at the office.
A unique line from the Executive collection, the Evo 1908, which are composed of watches that have the classic tonneau case. Available in different dial designs and strap colors, this collection shows that Davosa does not only produce sporty watches. One of the models with a retro look is the 39.5 mm model with a white dial and a light brown leather strap, which has legible Arabic numeral markers, a date window at 3 o’clock, and a small seconds function.
Last but not least is the Vireo line, which are watches built for travelers. The Vireo Dual Time provides the wearer the exact times in two time zones, simultaneously. This is why the watch has two crowns: the upper crown adjusts the inner ring, and the lower crown adjusts the time, date, and time zone hand. This line has a wide range of models that have the same featured and different design options. Check them all out here.
Davosa Brand Reputation
Though not as well-known or respected as many other Swiss watch brands, overall Davosa watches get positive reviews by watch aficionados and experts. This forum, for instance, has good feedback for Davosa, with owners talking about its ETA movement and that Davosa prices seem fair compared to other similar watch brands.
This discussion, on the other hand, talks about how Davosa resembles a Rolex design and has an homage design to the luxury watch brand. Forums like this can give one an idea on Davosa’s good quality, and how it compares to other brands.
Some buyers compare Davosa to Squale (such as the Squale 1545 Classic vs Davosa Ternos Ceramic). Steinhart is also another brand that is often compared with Davosa.
Is Davosa A Good Watch Brand?
One of the things that people like about Davosa is the relatively “affordable” price tags, of course, that all depends on your budget. Many of the brand’s watches range from around $700 to $2,000.
Considering that the brand makes mostly mechanical watches and diving watches, which require the most durable materials the movements used, it’s a relatively fair price compared to similar watches from other Swiss brands.
As mentioned above, Davosa overall has a good reputation for quality and customer service as well as a long history in the watchmaking industry and can, therefore, be considered a good watch brand. Its watches have also been positively reviewed by many respected watch websites such as A Blog to Watch and Worn and Wound.
However, one of the repeated criticisms of the brand is that many of its designs are homage watches, for example, the Ternos looks like a Rolex Submariner alternative and they also do “Pepsi” and “Batman” versions.
While we have no problem with quality homage watches since they provide a good alternative for many consumers, there are watch snobs that are very critical of any kind of replica watch and give the brand negative marks due to its lack of design innovation. Some critics also claim Davosa overplays the Swiss aspect of the brand, noting that it even uses the word Swiss twice on almost every dial (once under the logo and “Swiss Made” at the 6 o’clock position).
Where To Buy Davosa Watches?
Davosa watches are not available for purchase on its official website (Davosa.com), but they are available on its official United States website, where you can pre-order watches.
If the recipient of the watch is from the United States, shipping is free. There are, however, options to get the watch faster with rates from $15 to $25. Learn more about US shipping rules here.
You can buy Davosa watches from WatchShop, or UK website Jura Watches, as well as Davosa watches on Amazon and eBay (where you can also get second-hand models).
Where Are Davosa Watches Made?
According to the Davosa website, all of the brand’s watches have a “Swiss Made” seal of approval: “high-quality components and strict quality controls ensure that the inner and outer values of a DAVOSA will bring you pleasure for many years to come.”
There is no other information online that talks about the exact place or places that the company’s watches are made. “Swiss made” does not necessarily mean that the watch is made in Switzerland with Swiss materials. Labor costs in Switzerland are very expensive, so many watch companies have their watches made in other countries (such as China, Japan, or other parts of Europe) in order to save money.
Generally, “Swiss made” ensures a certain level of quality of the watch, In order for a timepiece to be considered a Swiss watch, the movement has been assembled in the Swiss region, and at least 60% of the manufacturing costs are from the country. The final inspection must also be done in Switzerland. To learn more about the rules, you can check out this article which takes a closer look at the topic.
Davosa Watch Warranty
Davosa guarantees that all Davosa watches purchased from its exclusive sales, partners, and retailers have a 24-month guarantee. If the watch is damaged, the company’s service center will take receipt of the watch and determine the best solution. The brand promises high standards: “fair pricing, an unbeatable price/performance ratio and exceptional expertise in all specialist questions.”
The brand has a 30-day return policy, and in order to be eligible for a return, refund, or exchange the watch needs to be in the same condition as it was received and must have its original packaging. It also needs proof of purchase and a return ID.
Once the watch is sent to Davosa, the repair center will do its inspection, and let the owner know what should be done next. The company will only replace items if they are defective or damaged. To learn more about the rules on return, exchange, and refund of Davos watches, you can visit the Refund Policy page on the brand’s website.
We hope this article allowed you to get to know Davosa better. This independent brand may not be as famous as other Swiss brands, but based on customer feedback and reviews by professionals, the company has competitive models that will surely continue to grow and gain popularity.
