Movado

Who are Movado?

Movado is a Swiss watch brand founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1881 by Achille Ditesheim, and owned since 1983 by the American company now called Movado Group, Inc. (Movado Group). Its signature design is the Museum dial, a plain dial with a single dot at 12 o’clock, designed in 1947 (Movado Group). This page covers Movado’s history, its collections and who owns it, then what to check when buying a Movado watch second-hand in the UK.

Movado Group places the Movado brand in what it calls the accessible luxury category, and says most watches in that category are quartz (Movado Group 10-K). The same group also owns Concord, Ebel, Olivia Burton and MVMT, and makes watches under licence for fashion brands (Movado Group).

The history of Movado

Movado’s history runs from a Swiss family workshop in 1881 through a merger with Zenith in 1969 to American ownership from 1983. The key dates are the founding (1881), the name (1905), the Polyplan (1912), the Ermeto (1926), the Museum dial (1947), Zenith (1969) and North American Watch Corporation (1983).

The Ditesheim family. Achille Ditesheim was 19 when he opened a workshop with six watchmakers in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1881 (Movado Group). In 1892 he and his brothers Leopold and Isidore combined their businesses (Wikipedia). The company took the name Movado, Esperanto for “always in motion”, in 1905 (Movado Group). The Historical Dictionary of Switzerland says Movado made pocket watches and marine chronometers before turning to wristwatches, and won several awards at the Neuchâtel Observatory competitions between 1950 and 1969.

Early designs. Movado patented the Polyplan in 1912 and the Ermeto in 1926 (Historical Dictionary of Switzerland). The Ermeto was a pocket or purse watch whose case was two sliding covers; later versions wound themselves when the case was opened and closed, a mechanism Isidore Ditesheim patented in 1927. Movado made it until 1985 (Wikipedia, Movado Ermeto).

The Museum dial. In 1947 the designer Nathan George Horwitt drew a dial with no numerals and a single dot at 12 o’clock. In 1960 it became the first watch dial accepted into the permanent design collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York (Movado Group). Wikipedia records that Movado settled a dispute with Horwitt over the design in 1975.

Zenith. In 1969 Movado and Zenith formed a holding company, Movado-Zenith-Mondia, and Movado co-developed Zenith’s El Primero automatic chronograph calibre. In 1972 the Zenith Radio Corporation of Chicago took over the holding and the Ditesheim family lost its majority; the holding returned to Swiss ownership in 1978 (Historical Dictionary of Switzerland). Our Zenith page covers the El Primero.

American ownership. In 1983 North American Watch Corporation bought the US distributor of Movado watches and substantially all the assets of the Movado brand from its Swiss maker (Movado Group 10-K). The Historical Dictionary of Switzerland says the head office moved to Grenchen. North American Watch Corporation had been founded by Gedalio Grinberg, who left Cuba in the early 1960s; Movado Group says he established it in 1965, while its annual report says it was incorporated in New York in 1967. The company renamed itself Movado Group, Inc. in 1996 (Movado Group 10-K). In 1984 the Times/5 watch by Andy Warhol began Movado’s Artists’ Series (Historical Dictionary of Switzerland).

What is Movado known for?

Movado is known for the Museum dial, for its links with design and the arts, and for mostly quartz watches assembled in Switzerland.

The Museum dial. Movado Group’s annual report names the Museum dial and modern design as what the brand is known for (Movado Group 10-K). The dot at 12 o’clock is meant to suggest the sun at noon (Abt).

Art and design. Beyond the MoMA connection, Movado has worked with artists since the Warhol watch of 1984 (Historical Dictionary of Switzerland). Movado Group’s chairman, Efraim Grinberg, traces the brand’s link with the arts to the Museum dial (Movado Group).

Movements. Movado does not make its own movements today. Its watches use Swiss movements, with all mechanical movements for Movado, Ebel and Concord coming from a single supplier (Movado Group 10-K). Most Movado watches are quartz; some Museum Classic and Heritage models are automatic (Abt). Our guide to mechanical and quartz watches explains the difference.

Where they are made. Movado Group says Movado watches, with the exception of certain collections, are made in Switzerland by independent third-party assemblers, and that certain collections are made by contractors in Switzerland and Asia (Movado Group 10-K). Retail copy for individual models says Movado watches are designed with Swiss movements and cased in Switzerland (Abt). The two statements do not fully agree, so check the dial and caseback of a particular watch.

Which Movado collections are there?

Movado’s range centres on the Museum Classic, the BOLD family and the Heritage Series (Abt). The collections table on this page has a line on each. Points that help when reading listings:

• Quartz or automatic. The same collection can include both. A Museum Classic can be a quartz or a Swiss automatic watch (Abt). Read the movement line in the listing.
• Model numbers. Movado watches carry a model number, such as 0607199 for one Museum Classic (Abt). Match it to the box and papers.
• Heritage names. The Datron name comes from a Movado chronograph first introduced in the late 1960s (Abt). A modern Heritage Series Datron is a different watch from a 1970s Datron, which may have a Zenith El Primero movement (Craft & Tailored).
• Licensed brands. Movado Group also makes watches for Coach, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein (Movado Group). These are not Movado watches.

Who owns Movado?

Movado is owned by Movado Group, Inc., a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker MOV and based in Paramus, New Jersey. It was incorporated in New York in 1967 as North American Watch Corporation, bought the Movado business in 1983 and took the Movado Group name in 1996 (Movado Group 10-K).

Efraim Grinberg is chairman and chief executive (Movado Group; Wikipedia). The group owns Movado, Concord, Ebel, Olivia Burton and MVMT (Movado Group). On 8 October 2026 it agreed to sell 95% of Ebel to a group led by Montres Journe SA, the company behind F.P. Journe, keeping 5% itself; the sale had not closed when we checked (Movado Group, announcement). In the UK, Movado Group UK Limited was incorporated on 26 March 2007 and is registered for the wholesale of watches and jewellery (Companies House).

Buying a Movado watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Check whether the watch is quartz or automatic, match the model number to the papers, check what remains of the warranty, and run a stolen-watch check before you pay.

1. The movement. Most Movado watches are quartz, but some are automatic (Movado Group 10-K; Abt). If it is quartz, ask when the battery was last changed and whether the seals were checked at the same time.

2. Papers and the full set. Ask which items come with the watch and whether they are originals. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

3. Warranty. Movado Group covers the movement against defects for two to three years from the date of purchase (Movado Group 10-K). Ask the seller for the original receipt or stamped warranty card. See watch warranties explained.

4. Where it was sold. Movado watches are sold in many countries, and some collections are made outside Switzerland (Movado Group 10-K). Our guide to grey-market and authorised dealers explains what changes when a watch was first sold abroad.

5. Vintage Movado. A Movado from before 1983 was made by the original Swiss company. For a 1970s Datron or other chronograph, ask a watchmaker to confirm the movement, since some use the Zenith El Primero (Craft & Tailored).

6. Authenticity. Buy from a seller who will put authenticity in writing and accept returns. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at.

7. Stolen-watch check. Check the serial number against a stolen-watch register before you pay. Our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

For the full process from setting a budget to collecting the watch, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Is Movado a Swiss brand?

Movado was founded in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, in 1881 (Movado Group). It has been owned since 1983 by Movado Group, Inc., an American company based in Paramus, New Jersey (Movado Group 10-K).

Who owns Movado?

Movado Group, Inc., listed on the New York Stock Exchange as MOV (Movado Group 10-K).

What does the name Movado mean?

“Always in motion”, in Esperanto. The company took the name in 1905 (Movado Group).

What is the Movado Museum dial?

A dial with no numerals and a single dot at 12 o’clock, designed by Nathan George Horwitt in 1947. In 1960 it became the first watch dial accepted into MoMA’s permanent design collection (Movado Group).

Are Movado watches Swiss made?

Most are. Movado Group says Movado watches are made in Switzerland, except certain collections made in Switzerland and Asia (Movado Group 10-K). Check the dial and caseback of the watch you are buying.

Are Movado watches quartz or automatic?

Mostly quartz, with some automatic models in collections such as the Museum Classic (Movado Group 10-K; Abt).

Did Movado work with Zenith?

Yes. Movado and Zenith formed a joint holding in 1969, and Movado co-developed the El Primero calibre (Historical Dictionary of Switzerland).

Which other brands does Movado Group own?

Concord, Ebel, Olivia Burton and MVMT (Movado Group).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Movado or Movado Group.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.