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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchOn Chrono24’s 2021 ranking, based on watches users searched for and bought, Rolex placed first, followed by Omega, Seiko, Breitling and Audemars Piguet. That is a measure of popularity on a marketplace—not a complete count of global watch sales, and not a ranking of smartwatches.
What the 2021 ranking measured
Fratello’s August 20, 2021 article described its charts as based on Chrono24 analytics: activity on a global watch marketplace, including what users bought and where. WatchPro’s December 22, 2021 report characterized Chrono24’s annual brand ranking as a combination of watches most searched for and bought. Together, those reports make the ranking useful as a snapshot of demand among Chrono24 users, but not as an audited census of every watch sold worldwide.
The distinction matters because searches, marketplace purchases, estimated retail sales and smartwatch shipments count different things. A brand can lead one measure and not another; none alone defines a universal popularity ranking.
Chrono24’s 2021 brand and model rankings
Most popular brands
| Rank | Brand |
|---|---|
| 1 | Rolex |
| 2 | Omega |
| 3 | Seiko |
| 4 | Breitling |
| 5 | Audemars Piguet |
Seiko’s third-place finish is notable because it put a Japanese brand among the top five in a list otherwise led by Swiss luxury names. It also shows why “popular” should not automatically be read as “most expensive” or “most exclusive.”
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Most popular individual models
WatchPro reported Chrono24’s year-end model order as:
- Rolex Datejust
- Rolex Submariner
- Omega Seamaster
- Omega Speedmaster
- Rolex Daytona
The model list is a separate ranking from the brand list: three Rolex models and two Omega models filled its top five.
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How the results varied by country
In the country tables reported by Fratello, Rolex ranked first and Omega second in each of the United States, Italy, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. Seiko also appeared in several national top tens:
| Country | Seiko position in the reported top ten |
|---|---|
| United States | 9th |
| Italy | 4th |
| Germany | 10th |
| France | 5th |
| United Kingdom | 8th |
In Switzerland, Fratello reported that Seiko was the only non-Swiss brand in the country’s top 30, placing seventh. These are rankings from the article’s Chrono24-based tables, not market-wide national sales totals. Fratello also noted that its charts represented a point in time and reported Rolex holding 25% to 50% of the luxury-watch market in most territories; that range should be understood in the context of the platform data it discussed, not as a verified global share across all watch sales.
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Why retail-sales rankings can look different
A Watches of Switzerland annual report reproduced Morgan Stanley/LuxeConsult estimates of 2021 global retail sales by brand. Those estimates ranked brands in this order:
| Estimated rank | Brand |
|---|---|
| 1 | Rolex |
| 2 | Omega |
| 3 | Cartier |
| 4 | Longines |
| 5 | Patek Philippe |
| 6 | Audemars Piguet |
| 7 | Richard Mille |
| 8 | IWC |
| 9 | TAG Heuer |
| 10 | Hublot |
| 11 | Breitling |
| 12 | Jaeger-LeCoultre |
| 13 | Vacheron Constantin |
| 14 | Tudor |
This is an analyst-estimated sales ranking, not a set of audited brand disclosures. It differs from Chrono24’s popularity list: Cartier and Longines appear near the top by estimated retail sales, while Seiko is third in the platform ranking but is not in this luxury-brand estimate list. The measures and brand coverage are not interchangeable.
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Company-level figures require similar care. Swatch Group reported 2021 net sales of CHF 7,313 million and a 17.7% operating margin for its Watches & Jewelry segment. Both figures cover a group with multiple brands; neither is Omega-only revenue or profit.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where Apple Watch fits
Apple Watch belongs in a separate smartwatch comparison, not inserted directly into Chrono24’s luxury-watch ranking. Counterpoint Research reported global smartwatch shipments grew 24% year over year in 2021 and that Apple held 30% of shipment share and about half of market revenue. Shipment share counts devices shipped, whereas Chrono24’s list reflects marketplace search and purchase activity for watches. The categories and metrics differ.
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Market segments also blur the word “popular.” Movado Group’s fiscal-2021 SEC filing grouped competitors into luxury names such as Rolex, Patek Philippe, Piaget and Vacheron Constantin; smartwatch makers including Apple, Fitbit and Garmin; and moderate or fashion brands including Citizen, Fossil, Seiko, Michael Kors and Swatch. A broad question about the world’s most popular brands therefore needs a defined segment, price tier and metric.
Does popularity tell you which watch holds its value?
No. A high position in a search-and-purchase ranking indicates demand within that platform’s audience; it does not establish how much a particular watch will be worth when resold. Chrono24 co-CEO Tim Stracke said, “These top five most sought-after brands not only reflect popularity, but also prove that watch buyers are looking for a sustainable investment.” That is an attributed interpretation of buyer interest, not a guarantee of investment performance or model-by-model value retention.
To judge resale prospects, compare the specific reference—not just its brand—with recent realized prices, its original retail price, condition, completeness, age and selling costs. The 2021 rankings do not provide those figures, so they cannot identify a reliable “best investment” watch.
Quick Recap
How to read a “most popular” watch list
- Check the metric: searches and purchases, estimated retail sales, and shipments describe different activity.
- Check the segment: a luxury mechanical-watch list does not include the full smartwatch or fashion-watch market.
- Check the geography and date: a platform snapshot can vary by country and over time.
- Check the level: brand rankings, model rankings and parent-company financials answer different questions.
- Keep popularity separate from resale: demand does not by itself establish future value or investment return.
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