Movado
- Founded
- 1881
- Based in
- La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland
- In our catalog
- 4 watches from $650 to $1,495
Movado is best known for one dial: black, without numbers, with one dot at 12 o'clock. That design, the Museum watch, became one of the best-known watch faces in the world, and today it sits in many shapes and sizes in Movado's catalogue.
History
Achille Ditesheim founded the company in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1881. The Movado name, meaning "always in motion" in Esperanto, came in 1905. In the 1940s it produced the Calendoplan, a triple-date watch, and other technical pieces.
In 1947 the American designer Nathan George Horwitt created the dial with only a dot, representing the sun at noon. It was added to the Museum of Modern Art's collection in 1960 and became Movado's signature in the 1980s. Today the company is part of Movado Group in the US.
Signature models
- Museum Classic: The dot dial in a thin 40 mm steel case on a bracelet, with a Swiss quartz movement.
- Museum Classic Automatic: The same design with a Sellita automatic and a small date window.
- Heritage Calendoplan Automatic: A 40 mm everyday watch named after the 1940s calendar model.
- BOLD Quest: A newer steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet and a quartz movement.
What it's known for
Minimalist design, slim cases and a strong presence in department stores and as a gift brand. Many models are quartz, but the automatic Museum and Heritage pieces use Sellita movements.
Price and positioning
Most Movados cost $500 to $1,700. It competes with Tissot, Hamilton and Bulova on price, and its pitch is design rather than watchmaking.
Movado watches in our library
- Movado BOLD Quest ($650)
- Movado Museum Classic ($995)
- Movado Heritage Calendoplan Automatic ($1,395)
- Movado Museum Classic Automatic ($1,495)