No trip to Switzerland is complete without a Swiss watch.
But knowing where to buy cheap watches in Switzerland is the key to going home without breaking the bank.
There are a couple of decisions you need to make first though, so let me break it down in simple terms for you.
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Expensive or Affordable Brands?
Brands like Rolex, Omega, Tag Heuer and Hublot are synonymous with the phrase “Swiss Watch” but most of their watches are seriously expensive.
The cheapest Rolex comes in at around $5000, while the cheapest Omega is above $3000. And these are just their cheapest models.
Other more prestigious bands don’t even bother with affordable models. That is just not their target market.
So, if you are in the market for one of these more prestigious brands, then there is no way to get them cheap!
The best you can hope for is to save a little money on taxes by buying it in Switzerland (around 7% VAT).
Mid-Range Watches
Some brands like Frederique Constant have watches as low as CHF 1000.
And TAG Heuer have an entry level model, the F1, that is only around CHF 1450.
While a Longines Conquest goes for around CHF 850.
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These watches are still not cheap, and they usually only have one cheap watch in each manufacturer’s range.
So, if you are looking for more choice then you will have to aim for a more affordable brand.
More Affordable Brands
If you want to spend less than $2000, and sometimes as little as a few hundred Swiss francs, then you are going to have to aim for a more affordable brand.
There are plenty of quality Swiss watch brands on the such as:-
- Oris
- Certina
- MIDO
- Tissot
- Raymond Weil
- Victorinox
- Wenger
- Hamilton
- Alpina
Mondaine, the maker of the Swiss Railway Clock also makes watches in the same style that are super affordable.
Swatch is the cheapest Swiss watch of them all and can be found easily in every city and town in the country.
Where To Buy Cheap Swiss Watches in Switzerland
So, now that you have an idea of which brand you can afford, here are some quick tips on where to buy cheap watches in Switzerland.
- Expensive brands: Dealers in major cities (Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich, shopping district of Geneva & Lucerne)
- Affordable brands:
- Smaller watch dealers on the main shopping streets of each town or city
- Manor, Globus, and Jemoli department stores
- Swatch:
- has its own stores in major cities and airports
- smaller retailers also sell Swatches (such as Manor)
You can also go on each watch maker’s website to use their store locator to find out exactly where they have outlets.
Personally, I own a Certina which I bought at Manor and my partner wears a simple black Swatch she has been wearing for a decade. Every time her battery is flat the Swatch store replaces it for free! That is affordable :>
