Everyone loves a good wristwatch, that's a no-brainer. However, there's a fine line between quality and classic. When you think of quality, you think of a rugged, durable, affordable watch that looks good but is an even better investment. You'll most likely grab a watch like Citizen, which is directly aimed at that “type”.

However, when you think of classic, you're thinking of elegance, status, beauty, and a timeless name - you're thinking Chopard. For over 100 years, Chopard has been adorning the wrists of everyone from royalty to your well-to-do businessman. Chopard is one of the few remaining brands that don't have to smother their designs in jewels to justify attaching a hefty price tag.

Around the middle of the 16th century, watch makers started to pop up all around Switzerland. In a few short years, Geneva and Jura became the epicenters of the watchmaking world. Slowly, many people started to make watches; the watches of the day were essentially miniaturized pocket clocks.

In the 1800s, Louis Ulysse Chopard took a liking to the watch industry, and in 1860, he founded his company. It wasn't long until Chopard picked up a reputation for producing some of the highest-quality precision watches. There were so precise, in fact, that Chopard became the official watch of the Swiss railway, which was always known for punctuality.

Over the years, Chopard's watches were able to keep up with the times. With other innovative timepieces taking center state, Chopard never really stood out as the most popular of the day. However, with a very loyal following, the watches continued to sell and were always in demand. The company moved to Ginebra in 1920 in hopes of discovering a new list of clientele. The two World Wars would eventually put a strain on the company, and Louis's grandson, Andre-Paul Chopard, took good care of the even-keeled company until 1963, when he put Karl Scheufele III, a famous jeweler, in charge.

Chopard had a rebirth in 1996 when new management released an innovative watch featuring in-house movement called “LUC”. This was the watch that helped to revitalize Chopard's name, and the brand began to pick up strong awareness. They also released a floating diamond “Happy Sport” series, as well as “Happy Fish,” “Happy Diamonds,” and “Happy Beach”. The average price for a Chopard is around $4-thousand, which sets them down on the list in terms of popularity. But when it comes to craftsmanship, Chopard is a frequent visitor of the top-ten list.