Looking for the best Italian watch brands to either acquire for yourself or gift to a loved one? Get ready to explore the amazing Italian watch brands that offer a collection of Swiss-made and Italian-made timepieces. Stick around!
Italy pretty much has everything you could want in a country to visit (or live in!): tasty food, rich culture, stunning islands and other famous destinations, stylish clothing and other numerous fashion brands that have dominated the world. These include stunning timepieces that proudly display the renowned “Swiss-made” and “Made in Italy” labels.
Discover a selection of top-tier Italian watch brands that rival the renowned Swiss counterparts. Check out our handpicked list of the finest watch brands from Italy!
14 Best Italian Watch Brands
Without further ado, here’s a look at 14 fantastic Italian watch brands that are definitely worth considering, whether you’re treating yourself or choosing a special gift for a loved one.
1. Panerai
These Italian watches are top-notch. Since 1860, Panerai has been making dive watches for the Navy. That’s why it lands on the top 1 of our best Italian watch brands list.
Richemont bought the company in 1997 and combined heritage with new techniques, making it one of the most famous underwater model brands.
The models reflect the brand’s basic harmonizing style. This company’s wrist chronographs are always up-to-date and leave nothing to be desired.
Luminor Base is entirely constructed of satin steel with scratch-resistant sapphire glass. Black Arabic numbers and luminous indexes provide a perfect appearance.
2. Locman
Locman, one of the biggest and most popular Italian watch brands, was formed in 1986 in Marina del Campo, Elba.
Locman watches offer extensive factual reality and has added some improved limited editions to the best sellers Stealth and Montecristo: the Locman Montecristo chronograph and the Locman Montecristo Moon with a manual winding mechanical movement.
Locman built the Italian School of Watchmaking in 2006 to teach new watchmakers and update the servicing network.
Locman has also created a luxury watch collection with Ducati Motor for two years.
3. U-Boat
U-Boat is a must-have automatic Italian watch for all generations. The brand was founded by Italo Fontana whose grandpa Ilvo constructed a prototype for the Italian Navy in 1942.
U-Boat is is a relatively young brand, with its first watch being created in 1999, a year prior to the brand’s launch. It was developed for Navy pilots.
The Capsule 50, which features a 50mm titanium case, is perhaps the most popular U-Boat watch.
Giorgio Armani, Arnold Schwarzenegger, David Beckham, Tom Cruise, and Emily Blunt are known lovers of this famous and original Italian watch brand.
4. Ennebi
Ennebi stands out among the handcrafted wristwatches made in Italy.
Ennebi’s history is also the most interesting when it comes to Florence and Tuscany luxury timepieces since it has roots in early 20th-century Italian and Tuscan industrial culture.
The Ennebi project, abbreviated “NB” after the initials of the two founders’ surnames, is the brainchild of Alessandro Bettarini and Luciano Nincheri.
Ennebi is an essential manufacturer of professional diving mechanical timepieces that radiate all the experience of the great Florentine mechanical turners and use Swiss automatic movements.
The Seimila Metri, with a 49.4mm diameter dial and titanium case, is one of the latest examples of this specialized Italian watch brand.
5. Breil
Breil began its climb in 1942 with a Swiss-named model – a durable watch that reimagines steel. Breil watches offer sophisticated designs, its steel versions all showy and elegant.
The brand’s women’s jewel watches are also quite popular as they are sleek fashion accessories fit for the modern elegant woman.
Breil, part of the 1906 Binda Group, is a recognizable Italian brand that anticipate trends, hence remaining a classic for premium watch buyers.
6. Emporio Armani
Giorgio Armani is a fashion and cultural icon. He launched the company in 1975 to provide luxury apparel and accessories.
Emporio Armani watches, established in 1997, are popular accessories. In the Fashion range, they have models like quartz watches and polished, modern watches. They are separated into Fashion Watches, and Swiss Made Watches.
These two collections have very different looks. Swiss Made models are attractive and functional. Fashion Watches, despite the name, are by no means just for show.
7. Officina del Tempo
Officina del Tempo is an Italian watch brand from Senigallia, Ancona. The brand offers Italian-designed and -made watches with an eye for detail and finishings.
Officina del Tempo signs various collections of clocks and wristwatches: a single piece is accessible 9-12 months after its creation. It undergoes further revisions before delivery, making it a unique and priceless object.
Sail Collection watches include visible hands in the dark and leather, steel, carbon, or hypoallergenic gel straps. Race Series watches have an octagonal titanium case and Swiss quartz chronograph movement.
8. Anonimo
Anonimo is one of the Italian luxury watch brands in Tuscany. Federico Massacesi, a former Ferragamo employee, and Dino Zei, a former military and Panerai CEO, founded the Anonimo watch brand in 1997. The Italian firm later joined the Vendôme Group and Richemont Group.
Federico Massacesi produced Anonimo with the Ambuchi family and Florence’s top watchmakers at vintage Panerai factories.
Anonimo watches stand out because they continue the Florentine tradition of creating professional timepieces and dive watches.
9. Fendi
Edoardo Fendi and Adele Casagrande created Fendi in 1925. After World War II, it opened stores in Houston, New York, and Bal Harbor and gained popularity for its bags.
Fendi started making watches in the 1980s. It has introduced three new lines of “Swiss-made” watches with a stylish and delectable style. One of these watches is the Spy model which is influenced by the brand’s bag of the same name.
Spy watches are made with a tight bracelet in knitted leather, a steel dial cloaked by a cover in white or yellow gold, and a mirror to behold one’s reflection.
Another popular collection, the exquisite collection of B. Fendi Pavé XL jewelry watches, is studded with diamonds, rubies, and sapphires.
10. TB Buti
TB Buti was founded in 2001 by Tommaso Buti in Florence. The brand has acquired international fame in wristwatches and fashion in just a few years.
Bright dials and straps are current elements of these timepieces. A team of professional watchmakers assembles items with Swiss technology in a Florentine laboratory.
Steel, gold, black, blue, or sandblasted titanium and carbon are utilized to construct casings. The cases, dials, and straps result from a constant search for inventive solutions, with a nod to luxury in the hand-mounted diamond models.
11. Bulgari
Bulgari – stylized as BVLGARI – was founded in Rome in 1884. It is one of the most well-known brands in the industry, specializing in luxury items – including watches.
Bulgari Time SA, which is based in Switzerland, operates the company. In fact, many of the watch designs are inspired by those of the famed Swiss watch designer and clockmaker Gérald Genta. The famous Octo Finissimo collection is a prime example. This collection is one of the brand’s most recognizable.
That being so, Bulgari watches are Swiss-made but they possess the famously essential Italian chic. Their watch models combine Swiss technique and Italian class.
This brand’s timepieces are composed of various materials, including stainless steel, gold, ceramic, and titanium.
12. Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana is a classic company representing high fashion worldwide. Italian fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana launched the firm in Legnano in 1985.
In 2000, the Dolce & Gabbana design house debuted its first watch collection. The House’s watch line – the D&G Time – is separated into men’s and women’s watches. Both categories include very diverse models that preserve a distinct style and identity despite being versatile in terms of combinations.
D&G watches range from steel with ruby versions to the rare gold and diamond pavé watch.
13. Giuliano Mazzuoli
Giuliano Mazzuoli is a Florence-based watchmaker noted for his first and most recognizable watch – the Manometro.
All Mazzuoli watches have spherical casings and a humorous “cobbled-together” look. His watches are huge and heavy, like many Italian ones.
He did compact his Manometro into the Manometro Compressed. This 10mm variant of the 14mm original features a bronze casing. The air pressure gauge face and 2 o’clock crown positioning remain.
Wearing a Giuliano Mazzuoli watch is akin to wearing passion and tradition, persistence and devotion, as well as elegance and courage.
14. Visconti
Visconti resembles Montblanc, one of the best watch brands from Italy.
Before horology, they made premium pens. They took growth seriously, like Montblanc.
While they’ve been making watches since 2013, they’re known for using Swiss movements and intensive material research. Their timepieces are 50-meter water-resistant stainless steel.
Visconti doesn’t make timepieces under 42mm. Their Opera GMT watch looks exquisite and mechanical, which is a bummer. People claim the dial’s layers and short lugs make it look smaller. Nevertheless, Visconti watches remain collectible and every timepiece provea to be a good investment.
Older Visconti watches were 48mm. We recommend keeping an eye out for smaller sizes.