Although you may not have heard of them, Lucien Piccard is a brand with a long watchmaking history.
The brand was established back in 1923 and produced luxurious, Swiss-made watches, which were worn by stars and celebrities such as Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra.
That incarnation of the company went bankrupt in 2010, but new owners have revived the brand.
They still offer the attention to detail and considered design that was evident in their earlier collections, but now produce much more affordable watches that are accessible to all.
If you are looking for a stylish and vintage-inspired timepiece on a budget, a Lucien Piccard watch may be the perfect solution for you.
We’ve taken a look at some pieces from their collections to give you our verdict, and you can also read on for a bit more about their interesting history.
See Our Top Lucien Piccard Watch Reviews
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Best For Low Budgets
1Lucien Piccard Montana Retrograde Day Watch
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| 4
Best Overall
4Lucien Piccard Oxford Gunmetal Watch
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Best For Higher Budgets
6Lucien Piccard Fantasia Watch
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1. Lucien Piccard Montana Retrograde Day Watch
- Elegant and classic design
- Crocodile textured leather strap
- Three subdials with fluted background
- Great value for the price
The elegant and classic design of this men’s watch has something of a vintage feel to it, with a stainless steel case surrounding the black analog face, and a crocodile textured leather strap.
The face is quite busy, with a total of three subdials, including an easy to read day dial, and a handy 24-hour dial.
All are adjusted from the single crown, so you’ll need to refer to the instruction manual, which actually contains the instructions for all models produced by Lucien Piccard.
The main face is easy to read, with bold numerals as hour markers and luminescent hour and minute hands.
This timepiece looks far more expensive than it’s price tag, and is an attractive pick for day to day or evening wear.
Specifications
Pros
- Luminescent sword hands
- Easy to read, bold hour markers
- Quartz movement
- Stainless steel case
Cons
- All dials are adjusted by a single crown
- Hour markers are not luminescent
2. Lucien Piccard Morano Chronograph Watch
- Unusual, eye-catching chronograph design
- Two subdials
- Alligator textured leather strap
- Vintage look onion crown and push-pieces
The face of this Morano chronograph watch is an unusual design, with a series of concentric circles working inwards from the bezel.
Hour markers cut across the circles, with numerals at the 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock positions.
There are two sub-dials sitting across the middle of the face, each with its own circular frame, plus a small date display at 6 o’clock.
The result is eye-catching but we found it to be a little busy for our taste.
The luminescent hour and minute hands do manage to stand out clearly, and we like the vintage-style onion crown, push-pieces, and the alligator-effect textured leather strap which give a nod to past designs in Lucien Piccard’s long watchmaking history.
Specifications
Pros
- Date display
- Clear, baton hour markers
- Quartz movement
- Luminescent hour and minute hands
Cons
- Large size may not suit all wrists
- Double figure dates don’t seem to sit centrally in the date display
3. Lucien Piccard Infinity Dual Time Watch
- A striking face, with white subdials stacked vertically down the center
- 60-second and 24-hour subdials
- Rose gold-tone stainless steel case
- Pull push crown
This design could easily be mistaken for a vintage dress watch, with a rose gold tone stainless steel case and textured leather strap.
There are two overlapping white subdials down the centre which break up the black dial, and are edged in the same rose gold tone as the case.
Other than this, the face is simple, with very small Roman numeral hour markers and no minute markers.
The hands are black, but still get a little lost at certain positions, and there’s no second hand.
We like this as a dress watch with a lovely design, but it’s perhaps not the most practical for daily use.
Specifications
Pros
- Leather strap
- Water resistant to 30m
- Quartz movement
- Roman numeral hour markers
Cons
- Deployment clasp can be a little fiddly
- Hands can become lost in some positions around the dial
4. Lucien Piccard Oxford Gunmetal Watch
- Striking combination of gunmetal and rose gold tones
- Second indices for the date
- Textured leather strap
- Clear baton hour markers
This is another unusual design from Lucien Piccard.
The dial has a gunmetal colored edge, which is set with rose gold-toned hour markers.
Inside this is a date dial backed in blue, and the day’s date is displayed in a window at the 3 o’clock position. The center of the dial has a striped silver finish.
The overall effect is decorative but still easy to read, and the stainless steel case is offset by a textured leather strap.
There are no extra features or subdials, but this is an attractive everyday watch with a stylish twist.
Specifications
Pros
- Quartz movement
- Luminescent hour and minute hands
- Minute markers around the edge of the dial
- Distinctive orange second hand
Cons
- No additional dials
- May be too large for some tastes
5. Lucien Piccard Elisia Watch
- Two tone stainless steel and gold tone bezel
- Stainless steel bracelet with gold tone centre links
- Unusual Roman numeral hour markers
- Bezel is encrusted with white crystals
This ladies watch combines stainless steel and gold tones in an elegant and classy design.
The white dial is clean and refined, with gold tone Roman numeral markers in an unusual stretched effect and gold hands.
Surrounding the dial is a gold tone bezel encrusted with white crystals, which carry on to the stainless steel lugs.
The colour combination is continued onto the bracelet, with gold tone centre links in a stainless steel bracelet. There are no extra features, but this is a stunningly designed dress watch at a great price.
Specifications
Pros
- Gold-tone hour, minute, and second hands
- Decorative crowns on the lugs
- Quartz movement
- Water-resistant to 50m
Cons
- The Roman numeral markers are attractive but not easy to read
- No features such as day or date display
6. Lucien Piccard Fantasia Watch
- Rose gold case and bracelet
- Roman numeral hour markers
- Date display at 3 o’clock position
- Sunburst effect at the centre of the dial
The Fantasia Ladies Watch looks far more expensive than it actually is.
It’s an elegant design, with a clean case in rose gold tone stainless steel, and a basket weave effect bracelet strap.
The round dial has classic Roman numeral markers and rose gold tone hour, minute and second hands.
The white dial has a textured sunburst effect in the centre to add interest.
There’s a small date display at the 3 o’clock position, but the face is otherwise uncluttered and simple.
It’s a great option as an elegant dress watch that’s simple enough for daily wear.
Specifications
Pros
- Hidden fold over clasp
- Water resistant to 50m
- Quartz movement
- Scratch resistant crystal lens
Cons
- Date display has a very small window
Lucien Piccard Watch Buying Guide
Best Lucien Piccard Watch Brand History
Lucien Piccard has a long history, having first been established in 1923.
The brand was founded by an American watchmaker, after whom the brand is named, and became known for producing luxury, Swiss-made watches.
The brand was associated with quality and great design, and its timepieces were worn by celebrities, and you can even find a Best Lucien Piccard watch given by Ava Gardner to Frank Sinatra in the Ava Gardner Museum.
Lucien Piccard was one of the first watchmakers to add additional luxury to their designs by incorporating gemstones such as diamonds and sapphires.
Vintage pieces from their previous collections have held their value well and can command a high price.
Unfortunately, Lucien Piccard experienced tough times and in 2010, filed for bankruptcy.
The brand was acquired by a different company and their approach has changed considerably.
Lucien Piccard watches now use quartz rather than mechanical movements, and are made in China rather than Switzerland.
Although they still produce attractive designs, the materials are more every day and the price point has accordingly dropped considerably, with many of their collections available for less than US$50.
Movement
The movement of a watch is in essence the engine that keeps the watch working.
There are different types of movement, such as mechanical, automatic or quartz.
Because they require precision engineering and more complex parts, mechanical watches are usually more expensive.
Luxury and heritage watch brands will often have a mechanical movement, because of the craftsmanship required.
A mechanical watch is often favoured by aficionados who appreciate the long tradition which is continued in production of these pieces.
Quartz movements are battery powered, so can be cheaper and easier to produce.
They’re reliable and the only maintenance they need is replacing the battery when it runs out.
A Lucien Piccard automatic watch uses a quartz movement.
Design
The design of many watches in Lucien Piccard’s collections reflect their long watchmaking history and heritage.
Many of their modern styles could at first glance be mistaken for a Lucien Piccard vintage watch.
They have managed to successfully design pieces which use less expensive materials, but still give a luxury look.
The brand doesn’t produce rugged or sports styles, their designs are more decorative and suited to smart dress or work wear.
Materials & Colors
The price point of Lucien Piccard’s collections means that a Lucien Piccard gold watch is something you’ll only find in their earlier, vintage pieces.
Their modern collections typically feature stainless steel cases and stainless steel or leather straps.
These are good quality options which are attractive and offer durability, but at a more affordable price.
Pricing Range
What’s very impressive about Lucien Piccard’s brand is that their watches look considerably more expensive than their actual price tag.
Many, if not most, of their range is actually priced at less than US$50. Even the pieces which are over this threshold are still affordable.
Considering the attention to design details and the materials used, we found their watches to be extremely good value.
Admittedly, if you’re looking for a rugged watch or the latest activity tracker, then a Lucien Piccard watch won’t be for you.
What the Lucien Piccard brand is great at, however, is producing classic, elegant designs that work as an everyday or dress watch.
All of the watches we reviewed were at an affordable price point, so our Entry Level pick was actually the same cost as several others.
But for the vintage look and elegant design, we picked the Lucien Piccard Montana Retrograde Day watch.
Our Top of the Range choice, though still quite inexpensive, is the Lucien Piccard Fantasia lady’s watch.
This rose gold-tone bracelet watch is simple, classy, and looks far more luxurious than its price tag suggests.
But our Best Overall choice is the Lucien Piccard Oxford Gunmetal. It’s a striking design and stood out for offering something a little different.
