When it comes to watches, no other country is held in such high esteem as the Swiss. Swiss watches are synonymous with luxury, and elegance. However, not all Swiss watches are created equal. In this article we will be comparing the two Swiss brands Raymond Weil vs Longines.
Which out of these 2 Swiss brands is superior? Well, for starters, Raymond Weil would be considered an entry level Swiss brand. Entry level Swiss watches are luxury watches that have the quality of fine Swiss craftsmanship, but at a much more affordable price than average.
Longines, on the other hand, while not quite at the level of Rolex or Patek Philippe, would still be considered at least a mid level Swiss luxury watch. So, how can we find out which one is “better”.
We can look at 3 major factors between these brands. These are: the build quality, the designs, and the pricing. By comparing and contrasting these 3 qualities, we can come to a better understanding of which brand may be best for you! First though, the introductions!
Introducing The Brands
Raymond Weil
Founded in 1976, Raymond Weil is a younger Swiss brand. The goal of this brand was to produce quality Swiss watches at affordable prices.
They started small, first operating out of a stall in Geneva, Switzerland. Like most other Swiss brands around this time, they were manufacturing automatic watches.
However, also around this same time, quartz watches were rapidly gaining popularity. Raymond Weil followed suit and began manufacturing quartz watches as well.
To this day, Raymond Weil stands as one of the only Swiss brands still owned by the original family that spawned it. Even after all these years, the family name has held true to their reputation of quality and affordability.
Longines
Longines, founded in 1832, is the oldest registered watch company in recorded history. They registered with the Federal Office of Intellectual Property way back in 1889.
Longines has also been an innovative company throughout their long, storied history. They are responsible for the first automatic movement found in a watch. This movement was called the calibre 22a. Additionally, in 1961 they released a watch with the thinnest electrotechnical movement seen at the time.
Even more recently, Longines has served as the official timekeeper for various sporting events. Overall Longines has left a lasting impact on the industry.
Now that we’ve been properly introduced to the brands, we can begin the comparison! The first thing we will be examining is the differences in build quality between the two.
Raymond Weil Vs Longines: Build Quality
Raymond Weil
You can find both quartz and automatic watches within Ramond Weil’s extensive collections of watches. These watches have analog displays and are powered using either in house, or Sellita movements.
Most of the cases will be stainless steel, as expected, although they do have watches with titanium or gold plated cases. The dial windows will be made of sapphire crystal. Lastly, water resistance among Raymond Weil watches ranges from 30 to 300 meters on average.
Longines
Longines manufactures both quartz and mechanical analog watches, powered by mostly ETA movements. Their cases are stainless steel as well, for the most part. You will also find some Longines watches with gold cases too.
The dial windows are going to be sapphire. Water resistance across Longines watches will vary from as low as 30 meters to as high as 300 meters of resistance.
Verdict On Build Quality
When it comes to the build quality between the two, it is pretty close. Ultimately though, Longines appears to have a slightly more refined build. Next, let’s take a look at the designs and styles of these brands.
Raymond Weil Vs Longines: Design & Style
Raymond Weil
Here, you have your pretty much standard luxury designs. For the most part, you won’t see anything you haven’t seen before.
Styles include sport, diving, chronograph, and business casual. Raymond Weil may be an entry level Swiss luxury brand, but that doesn’t take away from the style and elegance these watches possess.
Longines
Longines styles are much the same. They contain the luxury watch designs you are used to seeing. You know what to expect: chronographs, diving watches, casual, etc.
They stick to the traditional formula when it comes to style. Overall, though, you can’t help but admire the beauty and craftsmanship presented in their watches.
Verdict on Design & Style
Both brands offer traditional Swiss luxury styles. Neither one strays far from the formula. Raymond Weil and Longines offer standard luxury visuals with their designs. Now, lastly, let’s check out the pricing differences between these two brands.
Raymond Weil Vs Longines: Pricing
You can usually expect to spend a pretty penny when it comes to making luxury Swiss watch purchases. We are, after all, talking about some of the highest quality watches. Fortunately, however, all Swiss luxury watches are not extraordinarily expensive.
In the case of Longines, though, their watches will be priced in the higher price ranges. With Raymond Weil, however, many of their watches are priced in the mid range, and are thus much more affordable.
Raymond Weil does have the high priced models as well, but offers a wider variety of more affordable options than you will find with Longines.
Check Raymond Weill Watch Prices on Amazon
Check Longines Watch Prices on Amazon
So, what is the final verdict then when it comes to Raymond Weil Vs Longines? Which is the better brand?
Final Verdict
After examining the factors that we’ve looked at here today, we can come to a conclusion. Stylistically, both brands have similar offerings.
But if you are looking for a higher-grade Swiss luxury watch, then Longines would be the brand to go with. Conveniently, every Longines watch comes with a serial number to verify its authenticity.
On the other hand, if you are looking for a more affordable Swiss option that still maintains the quality of a Swiss luxury watch, Raymond Weil would make a fine choice.
This concludes today’s comparison. If you like this matchup, then we have many more just like it which you can check out here
