State of AI Search 2025: Who Dominates in Luxury Watches?
Rolex dominates with 100% AI visibility, followed by Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe at 83%. Discover the complete ranking of the 5 luxury watchmaking giants.
The GEO Era: A New Playing Field for Luxury
In 2025, the way consumers discover luxury brands has fundamentally changed. ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini are no longer technological curiosities - they've become purchase advisors for millions of users.
We analyzed 5 luxury watch giants to answer a simple question: Who's winning the AI battle?
Methodology
Analysis conducted in December 2025
Our study measured the share of voice of each brand on:
- ChatGPT (GPT-4o-mini)
- Google Gemini (1.5 Flash)
- Perplexity (Sonar Pro)
For each brand, we generated prompts covering:
- Generic queries ("best luxury watches")
- Discovery queries ("alternative to Rolex")
- Technical queries ("in-house movement watchmaking")
The Winner
Rolex
Undisputed leader of AI visibility in luxury watchmaking
Key insight
Rolex appears in 100% of analyzed AI responses. Patek Philippe and Audemars Piguet follow with 58% appearances alongside the leader.
Complete 2025 Rankings
Rolex
"Dominates all query categories, both branded and industry."
Audemars Piguet
"Best sentiment in the panel thanks to Royal Oak and ultra-premium positioning."
Patek Philippe
"Highest average position: often cited first when mentioned."
Cartier
"Excellent performance on jewelry queries, less on pure watchmaking."
Omega
"Strong recognition from Speedmaster 'Moon Watch' but visibility needs optimization."
Visual Comparison
AI Visibility by Brand
Sentiment Score
AI Response Example
Here's how AI engines respond to a typical luxury watch query:
"What are the best Swiss luxury watches to buy in 2025?"
The best Swiss luxury watches in 2025 include several iconic references. Rolex dominates with the Submariner, Daytona, and GMT-Master, renowned for reliability and prestige. Patek Philippe excels in haute horlogerie with the Nautilus and grand complications. Audemars Piguet stands out with the Royal Oak, an icon of sporty-chic design. Omega offers the legendary Speedmaster 'Moon Watch' and Seamaster. Cartier presents the Tank and Santos for those seeking watchmaking-jewelry elegance.
Key Sources for AI Visibility
AI engines regularly cite these sources - a strategic opportunity for brands:
Watch Publications to Target
| Publication | Authority | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Hodinkee | Global reference, heavily cited by ChatGPT and Perplexity | High |
| Monochrome Watches | Technical expert, strong in Europe | High |
| Watchonista | Engaged community | Medium |
| Revolution Watch | Asian market | Medium |
| Fratello Watches | Educational content | Medium |
Other Influential Sources
- Wikipedia - Brand and model pages (often cited first)
- Chrono24 - Reference marketplace for pricing
- Official websites - Crucial but often under-optimized for GEO
- YouTube (reviews) - Watchfinder, Teddy Baldassarre
Recommendation
Brands should prioritize editorial partnerships with Hodinkee and Monochrome Watches, and ensure their Wikipedia pages are complete and up-to-date.
Strategic Insights
What differentiates leaders
Rolex stands out with constant presence in AI responses. When a user asks "which luxury watch to buy", the brand appears in 58% of cases in first position. Audemars Piguet compensates slightly lower visibility with exceptional sentiment (96/100).
The industry vs branded gap
All brands perform better on queries including their name (branded) than on generic queries (industry). The GEO challenge is to capture discovery queries - where the consumer doesn't have a brand in mind yet.
The Omega opportunity
Omega has a unique heritage: the Speedmaster "Moon Watch" and official Olympic Games partnership. At 42% visibility, the brand has significant growth potential in GEO. A content strategy targeting "luxury sports watches" and "space watches" queries could quickly improve its share of voice.
Recommendations for Watch Brands
- Audit your current presence - Measure where you appear (and don't appear) in AI responses
- Enrich educational content - LLMs favor sources that explain, not those that sell
- Invest in specialized media - Hodinkee, Watchonista and others are trusted sources for AIs
- Structure your data - Schema.org and well-structured content improves AI comprehension
- Target discovery queries - Brands that capture generic queries win new customers
Conclusion
GEO is no longer optional for luxury brands. With 72% average visibility, luxury watchmaking shows good adoption but significant disparities persist.
Rolex leads the way with a content strategy that resonates with LLM criteria. Audemars Piguet proves that ultra-premium positioning generates exceptional sentiment. Omega, despite its unique heritage, has the most to gain from an optimized GEO strategy.
For brands, the opportunity is immense: every visibility point gained represents thousands of potentially influenced consumers.
Want to know your AI visibility?
Repliq analyzes your presence on ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity in minutes. Discover your score and improvement opportunities.
This study was conducted with Repliq, the GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) platform for brands.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which watch brand is most visible on ChatGPT?
Rolex leads with 100% visibility on AI queries related to luxury watches.
How is AI share of voice calculated?
AI share of voice measures how often a brand is mentioned in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity responses across relevant industry queries.
Why is GEO important for luxury brands?
As AI search engines grow, brands not cited in responses lose an increasing share of digital visibility and influence on purchase decisions.
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