SOURCE: Luxury Institute

 

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwire - February 7, 2008) - High net-worth consumers rated Vacheron Constantin the most prestigious luxury watch brand in the 2008 Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey from the independent New York-based Luxury Institute (www.LuxuryInstitute.com). Respondents said Vacheron Constantin is "one of the best in skeleton movements and finishing" is "very dependable" and "unique." Patek Philippe and Piaget were ranked second and third, respectively.

"Luxury watch marketers break down into two types," said Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute. "One type craves customer feedback to understand how they are rated on critical metrics vs. competitors and use that feedback to make improvements. These executives operate from a passion for serving customers at the highest levels.

"The second type operates from the knowledge that only they know what is best for the customer and disdain customer feedback. Wealthy consumers today gravitate to those who listen carefully and serve them best. The Luxury Institute's role is to facilitate a candid, objective dialogue between the constituents without bias or conflicts of interest."

31 luxury watch brands were rated (alphabetical order):

1.      Audemars Piquet
2.      Baume & Mercier
3.      Blancpain
4.      Boucheron
5.      Breguet
6.      Breitling
7.      Bulgari
8.      Cartier
9.      Chopard
10.     Dior
11.     Dunhill
12.     Ebel
13.     Franck Muller
14.     Girard-Perregaux
15.     Harry Winston
16.     Hermes
17.     IWC
18.     Jaeger-LeCoultre
19.     Longines
20.     Louis Vuitton
21.     Montblanc
22.     Movado
23.     Omega
24.     Patek Philippe
25.     Piaget
26.     Rado
27.     Rolex
28.     Tag Heuer
29.     Tiffany
30.     Vacheron Constantin
31.     Van Cleef & Arpels

The proprietary Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey is the only measure of the prestige of leading brands among wealthy Americans. A national sample of 513 wealthy American consumers, with an average income of $789K and average net worth of $15.1 million, was surveyed online. Survey results are weighted to match demographic and net-worth profiles of the same audience according to the latest Survey of Consumer Finances from The Federal Reserve.

About the Luxury Institute

The Luxury Institute is the uniquely independent and impartial ratings, reviews and research institution that is the trusted and respected voice of the high net-worth consumer. The Institute provides a portfolio of proprietary publications and research that guides and educates high net-worth individuals and the companies that cater to them on leading edge trends, high net-worth consumer rankings and ratings of luxury brands, and best practices. The Luxury Institute also operates the Luxury Board (www.LuxuryBoard.com), the world's first global, membership-based online community for luxury goods and services executives, professionals and entrepreneurs. To reach the Luxury Institute, please call 646-792-2669 or go to www.LuxuryInstitute.com.