These two brands constitute 50% of the 4 most recognized and valuable Swiss watch brands on this planet. Let’s see which best suits your lifestyle and unique needs. Will it be Rolex or Chopard?
Comparison of Chopard VS Rolex
We are often asked “Which is better, Replica Chopard watches or Replica Rolex watches?” and without understanding the context of the question the answer is not so straight forward. This is why this article was created. Click on any of the questions below to jump to the answer section.“What’s better?”can mean any of the following:
Which has better precision?
Which brand is more prestigious?
Which brand is more famous?
Which one has better craftsmanship?
Which has better durability?
Which makes the best divers watches?
Which holds its value best?
Which has better pricing & retail value?
That said, let’s address each of these questions to give you a better picture of how you can compare Rolex VS Chopard watches to see which is the best option for you and your unique needs. Shall we?
In the watchmaking industry, this is called ‘chronometry’ which is defined as the science of accurate time measurement. The Swiss Institute of Chronometry (known by its original French name ‘Controle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres’) or COSC for short is the industry standard for testing movements to ensure high precision.
Once they pass a series of tests, the mechanical movement (also known as a caliber) is then awarded the designation of ‘Chronometer’ and receives a COSC certificate attesting to its accuracy. The mechanical caliber must achieve an accuracy of no less than -4/+6 seconds of acceptable daily deviation.
Both Rolex and Chopard have watches that come with a COSC certificate and will have the designation of Chronometer proudly displayed on the dial. Rolex, however, will have an extra word attached to this designation; ‘Superlative’ Chronometer. This means that after COSC issued their certificate Rolex did further testing until it reached a much higher rate of precision.
Chopard is a historically rich brand that was manufacturing watches since 1860. In addition to watches, Chopard also manufactures high-end jewelry for the rich and famous. Their brand is very similarly positioned with brands such as Cartier and Harry Winston; both who make watches but are even more famous for their fine jewels. Rolex, on the other hand, is strictly in the watch business and hasn’t indicated that they will be making jewelry any time soon.
According to a recent report by Interbrand, an agency that evaluates Swiss companies and brands and ranks the top 50 Swiss brands, Chopard is the 4th most popular Swiss watch brand in the world with a brand value of 1,098 Million CHF. The only Swiss watch brands that outrank them on this list are, Rolex, Omega, and Patek Philippe; in that exact order. Of course, there are also Swiss chocolatiers and Swiss banks in the mix too but in terms of watchmakers, they are #4.
Rolex has the coveted #1 position in the world in terms of luxury watch brands. They have 100% brand recognition and that is quite an achievement. They have steadily positioned their brand as the watch that can handle just about anything and have manufactured many types of watches; each that serve their own purpose and function.
Rolex has become a household name and everyone rich and poor know their name. While Chopard is up there too, they are not necessarily known as well as a watchmaker as much as they are known for being a high-end exclusive master-jeweller
Chopard has made some advancements in their craft over the last century and a half. While they do have a few in-house movements that are impressive, most of their movements are not made entirely by Chopard. They are either ébauche calibers which are “outsourced” movements usually from ETA which may or may not then be built-up in-house using various modules. They also have many watches which use Quartz movements which are ridiculously more affordable compared to mechanical movements.
Rolex doesn’t use quartz movements. They did try one at one point during the watchmaking industry’s quartz crisis. It was called the Oysterquartz but they quickly scrapped that idea before it hurt their brand. Furthermore, Rolex doesn’t use ébauche movements either and manufacture all their movements in-house. They did use them in the past such as the iconic El-Primero chronograph mvement which once powered the Rolex Daytona but have since changed their manufacturing to do everything in their own factories.
Rolex has also taken watchmaking to a whole new level and they hold many patents for innovations that they have made to watchmaking. It was, in fact, a Rolex engineer who perfected the self-winding rotor system used in the automatic watches that we use today. They have developed a reputation for improving things that other watchmakers thought not possible.
Rolex has also had their watches go to the highest mountain peaks and the lowest depths of the ocean and seabeds just to prove that their watches are up for the challenge. They are durable and rugged, yet stylish and classy. Their ads often say that no human can withstand the testing that their watches go through but they do it anyway. While this sounds like a bunch of marketing mumbo-jumbo; it is not. Rolex owners will attest to this.
In terms of durability, a Fake Rolex watch, (especially a sports model such as the Submariner) is built tougher and are more equipped to handle day-to-day wear than just about any Chopard watch. A Chopard is more of a refined classy watch and therefore not subject to the scrutiny of those that want a watch that can take a beating.
Many watch collectors will use a Rolex as their “beater” watch. They have incorporated their patented Paraflex shock absobers into many of their models and their Oyster cases with their screw down crowns are excellent for submersible situations. Which is a great segway to our next topic; Water Resistance.
While Replica Chopard makes some excellent watches such as the L.U.C. Quattro with its 9-day power reserve shown in the main article image at the top of this blog post, Chopard doesn’t make diving watches. Water resistance is pretty basic on Chopard watches which are typically either classy dress watches or racing watches such as their various chronographs.
It’s also quite important to get a realistic idea of what the water resistance on a watch means regardless of what brand it is and learn how to take proper care of any watch, diving watch or not to ensure longevity and ensure you will keep the warranty intact.
Rolex, on the other hand, has many diving watches suitable for anyone from an amateur diver to a even a seasoned professional such as James Cameron. It was in fact a Rolex that went down with James Cameron to the deepest depths of the earth’s waters known as the Mariana Trench. Rolex commemorated this achievement with the Rolex Deepsea; a diving watch that has 3900m/12800ft of water resistance.
Rolex has the best average resale value in the industry. So if you are looking to build a strong collection and may consider trading in a watch for a better one, Rolex will on average give you back more of your principal than any other brand. Of course, resell value is largely dependant on a number of variables such as the condition of the watch, the model itself, how rare it is, whether or not it includes all original documents and boxes, wether or not it is still under warranty and other things.
It’s important to note that a watch is not an investment and it is rare when a watch winds up being worth more than what you paid for it. While these things do happen, they are rare and should not be considered as an investment such as a proper security. They do have a tangible value which can (albeit rare) at times appreciate, but don’t count on it. You can compare them to a car in the sense that as soon as you use it, some of its original value is lost.
These brands are both considered luxury watches. You can pick an entry-level Chopard model for just above $5,000 at full retail price for a men’s model and just under $5,000 for a ladies model. Rolex has a slightly higher price point for their entry-level models which start at a full retail price of $5,700.
