Luxury watch connoisseurs have probably heard a thing or two about Concord Watches. The Swiss brand has been around for quite some time selling popular styles such as the Mariner. For a minimum of $1700, consumers wonder whether the watch is as classy and as perfect as they say.
Truth be told, the watch is one of the finest on the markets, but with a shift in demand for mid-range watches, Concord Watches fell in popularity in the early 2000s. Now since introducing sport luxury models, former fans are intrigued.
Let’s break down some key elements about Concord Watches.
The Company’s History
It started in 1908 when five watch collaborators from Biel/Bienne Switzerland created the concept of Concord. For just over 60 years, they dominated luxury watchmaking until the 1970 quartz crises forced them to remodel. Surviving the hardships of the 1970s thanks to their development of the Concord Delirium, it was later named the World Thinnest Watch, and Concord returned as the leader of Swiss watches.
Just a year after making history, the Mariner came out. Concord’s top and leading model today. But after the release of the Mariner, Concord fell behind again due to luxury watches losing out to mid-range watches. In 2007, they re-entered the market dipping their toes into the Sports Luxury market with the C1. A major hit in sales, Concord once again returned.
Concord has been around for the long haul, making it a company of experts. In 2018, they introduced their new logo. The Knot. It resembles all the collaborations Concord has dipped into globally that have triumphed them through more than 100 years of watchmaking.
A Bird’s Eye View of Their Collection Designs
Concord Watches offer both men’s and women’s watches. Compared to other companies, they have decided to stick with what they know by offering just three different models to choose from right now. Each of the models has slight variations, but the basics remain the same. They are:
- The Mariner
- The Mariner SL
- The Saratoga
Let’s break down the different collections.
The Mariner:
The Mariner is one of their prestige watches that has stuck around for a long time. They are Quartz watches for both men and women wrapped in a stainless steel casing. They have a variety of alterations, such as the women having the ability to choose Rose Gold combination casing, White Mother of Pearl marquetry dazzled in 12 embedded diamonds.
This is just one of the style variations for women. Men may find themselves choosing from an anti-reflect sapphire with various dials from black, green, red, or blue. Every Mariner guarantees 5 bars of water resistance and a push-button.
The Mariner SL:
The Mariner SL radiate everything you love about the Women’s and Men’s original Mariner but offers a slimmer and trimmer design. Just replacing some of the weight to it, the Mariner SL remains the Quarts stainless steel model you love. This version is ideal for those with smaller wrists.
The Saratoga:
The Saratoga series is a more commanding look than the Mariner, both on the men’s and women’s side. Its signature feature on all of the watches is the CONCORD engraved name on the crown of the dial. There is also more emphasis on time with bold Roman Numerals, a date window, and metal-plated hour and minute hands.
Price
Swiss watches, in general, aren’t cheap, but how do they compare in terms of other Swiss brands like Rolex? Well, when we compare the prices to Rolex, Concord watches look like a pretty good option.
Most of Concord’s watches fall in the range between $1500-$4800, making it just lower than the average starting price of Rolex at $7000. Now, not all luxury watches function like Rolex selling into the $40,000s. Unless, of course, you are going to start comparing to Hublot as well. In that case, Concord seems like a steal.
Functionality and Warranty
Being a part of the Movado watch group, all Concord watches come with a three-year limited warranty. While no materials can truly be scratch-proof, the quality stainless steel, gold, rose gold, and other materials incorporated into Concord watches are meant to last a lifetime with the proper care.
The Warranty:
- A three-year limited warranty covering workmanship and material defects that prevent the watch from functioning normally.
- The warranty DOES NOT cover analog batteries, straps, bracelets, crystals, iconic gold, and PVD plating, cosmetic wear and tear, and damage from misuse.
- The warranty is void if the watch is not purchased from an official Movado dealer. Receipt required for warranty fixes.
Pros and Cons
Everything sounds excellent at this point. A brand that’s been in the game and offers somewhat affordable Swiss-made watches? Let’s break down some pros and cons before wrapping this up.
Pros:
- The innovative company that has not been afraid to change styles or rebrand throughout the years.
- Offers elegant and bold styles making it great for every occasion wear while retaining class and luxury.
- Affordable for a high-end luxury watch.
- Still manufactured out of Swizterland without losing quality in materials.
Cons:
- Since eliminating some of its other collections, the design choices are limited with a few options to switch the color palettes around.
- Not as well-recognized as the company once used to be.
- Short warranty coverage for a high-end luxury watch.
Rounding It Up
You may just feel like you have finally met your match. Concord watches is not one of those new pop-up brands marketing high-end watches at affordable rates. Concord watches have been around for more than 100 years, revolutionizing and changing with the client. Despite having partners globally, the company has remained true to itself, providing quality materials and elegant designs.
Catering to both men and women, they offer three collections, one of them being a staple since the 1980s. The Mariner has an option to slim down for those who don’t like to bear too much weight on their wrist.
There’s not much to harp on when it comes to their brand, but if there were anything we could say at all, it would be to give better warranties.
Why not indulge in some other timeless luxury watches while you are here?
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Last Updated on October 15, 2021
Brittany Collens is one of our top sports writers. She is also a professional tennis player which helps her authority on subjects such as health and fitness.
She has a degree in journalism and has previously written for well-established sports magazines in Massachusetts.
Brittany lives in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States.