Jacques du Manoir

Jacques du Manoir is a Swiss-made brand sold largely through independent jewellers in Britain and Ireland. Its watches are conventional in the best sense — legible dials, restrained cases, Swiss movements — and priced well below what "Swiss made" usually costs.

The company keeps a low public profile and publishes little about its own history, so there is not much that can be said here with confidence. What can be said is that the watches are made to the Swiss labelling standard, which sets minimum requirements for where a movement is assembled and inspected.

Jacques du Manoir holds 15 models, from £150 to £199. Half cost less than £169, and a quarter less than £169. Prices are checked nightly against the retailers’ own feeds.