Cartier vs Rolex:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Rolex had more branded searches than Cartier among luxury watch brands worldwide. Rolex had about 4.1 million branded searches, while Cartier had 2.7 million. Rolex made up 29.7% of all luxury watch brand searches we track, and Cartier accounted for 19.9%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about luxury watch brands, both Cartier and Rolex appeared in all five answers. Rolex was mentioned before Cartier in four out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Rolex, about 49% more searches than Cartier
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Rolex, named ahead of Cartier in 4 of 5 answers
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Top luxury watch brands in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Cartier and Rolex showed up in all five answers. Rolex was listed before Cartier in four of them.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Rolex1st
Omega2nd
Cartier3rd
Patek Philippe4th
Audemars Piguet5th
Seiko6th
Citizen7th
Tissot–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Rolex5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Cartier5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Omega5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Patek Philippe4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Audemars Piguet4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Seiko3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Citizen1 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
- Tissot0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about luxury watch brands
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which luxury watch brand should I buy?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best luxury watch brands?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best luxury watch brand for everyday wear?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“luxury watch”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“watch brands”
Not named in any answer:
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.
Is Cartier or Rolex more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Cartier and Rolex by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight luxury watch brands we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Rolex, Cartier. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Rolex | Cartier | Patek Philippe | Seiko | Tissot | Audemars Piguet | Omega | Citizen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 28.3% | 23.2% | 12.7% | 12.7% | 8.4% | 6.9% | 4.7% | 3.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 28.5% | 23.3% | 12.7% | 12.7% | 8.5% | 5.7% | 4.7% | 3.8% |
| Dec 2025 | 31.5% | 21.1% | 11.5% | 11.5% | 9.5% | 6.3% | 4.2% | 4.2% |
| Jan 2026 | 28.7% | 23.5% | 12.8% | 12.8% | 8.6% | 5.8% | 4.7% | 3.2% |
| Feb 2026 | 32.3% | 21.7% | 11.9% | 11.9% | 7.9% | 6.5% | 4.3% | 3.6% |
| Mar 2026 | 31% | 20.8% | 11.4% | 13.9% | 9.2% | 6.2% | 4.2% | 3.4% |
| Apr 2026 | 31% | 20.8% | 13.9% | 11.4% | 9.2% | 6.2% | 4.2% | 3.4% |
| May 2026 | 23.8% | 19.5% | 10.7% | 10.7% | 8.7% | 19.5% | 3.9% | 3.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 26% | 21.3% | 11.7% | 14.2% | 9.5% | 7.8% | 5.2% | 4.3% |
| Jul 2026 | 27.1% | 22.2% | 12.1% | 12.1% | 9.9% | 6.7% | 5.4% | 4.5% |
| Aug 2026 | 29.4% | 19.7% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 4.8% | 3.9% |
| Sep 2026 | 29.7% | 19.9% | 13.3% | 13.3% | 8.9% | 6% | 4.9% | 4% |
How has the Cartier and Rolex comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Rolex was ahead of Cartier in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cartier’s share of searches among luxury watch brands worldwide moved from 23.2% to 19.9%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 3.4M to 2.7M.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Rolex’s share of searches among luxury watch brands worldwide moved from 28.3% to 29.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 4.1M.
How did search popularity change for luxury watch brands worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
Rolex’s share of searches among luxury watch brands worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 26% to 29.7% in September 2026.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Cartier worldwide fell 18.2% over 12 measured months, from 3.4M to 2.7M in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cartier’s and Rolex’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among luxury watch brands
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