Philippe Lauren is the badge most people cannot place and the watch a lot of them pick up twice. The range on our counter in Durrës puts quite different watches under one name, all between €52 (5,000 L) and €72 (7,000 L). Here is what each one is.
In short: the safest buy is the Philippe Lauren Steel Sport Black Dial at 64 euro (6,200 L), a faceted bezel and an integrated bracelet on a watch that reads well above its price. If you want a stopwatch that runs, the cheapest real chronograph we sell is the Philippe Lauren Black Square Chronograph at 69 euro (6,700 L).
What Sits Under the Philippe Lauren Name
We keep Philippe Lauren watches in the shop, from €52 (5,000 L) to €72 (7,000 L). The badge covers real chronographs, steel sport watches, steel dress watches and gold-tone dress pieces, and that is the only sorting that matters when you choose. The brand takes one detail from a watch several times the price, a faceted bezel, a cushion case, an integrated bracelet, and builds it in steel.
The Chronographs: What They Cost and Which to Pick
These are the Philippe Lauren chronographs we have checked ourselves, which means the pushers start and stop a hand. Our guide to chronographs and lookalikes shows how to test any watch in five seconds.
- Philippe Lauren Black Square Chronograph at 69 euro (6,700 L). Black ion-plated steel, square cushion case, three subdials, silver-tone baton indices, a date. The cheapest working chronograph on the counter.
- Philippe Lauren Silver Chronograph at 72 euro (7,000 L). The same cushion case in steel, silver sunburst dial, three subdials, applied indices, a date, polished bracelet. The formal one.
- Philippe Lauren Steel Chronograph at 72 euro (7,000 L). Round polished steel, black dial, three subdials, luminous applied indices, a date, solid steel bracelet.
- Philippe Lauren Black Chronograph at 72 euro (7,000 L). The same watch in black ion-plated steel, all one colour.
Between them it is shape and colour, not what the watch does.
The Steel Sport Models: Black Dial and Blue Dial
They share a case: steel, a faceted bezel, four visible screws, a bracelet integrated into the case rather than hung off it. The dial is what separates them.
The Philippe Lauren Steel Sport Black Dial at 64 euro (6,200 L) keeps it plain: black textured dial, Roman numerals at 12 and 6, applied baton indices, a date window, no subdials. It is the quickest watch here to read at arm's length.
The Philippe Lauren Steel Sport Blue Dial at 72 euro (7,000 L) is the one people stop at. Deep blue sunburst dial with three subdials and applied baton indices, a date window, pushers on the case side, the same faceted bezel and four visible screws as the black one, on an integrated steel bracelet. We describe what is on its dial rather than what the dial does. This model is not on our verified chronograph list, so if you want a watch that definitely times something, buy one of the chronographs above. If you want the best-looking Philippe Lauren at this price, this is it.
The Steel Dress Watches: Where the Range Starts
These are the newest Philippe Lauren watches on the counter and the plainest: steel, a slim bracelet, no date and no subdials. They are also the least expensive watches with this badge on them.
The Philippe Lauren Steel Crystal Blue at 52 euro (5,000 L) is the cheapest way into the brand and the one that catches the light first: round steel case, a crystal-set bezel in two rows, a deep blue sunburst dial with crystal indices, slim polished baton hands, five-link polished bracelet. Nothing else here costs less or gets looked at more.
The Philippe Lauren Steel Classic at 58 euro (5,600 L) is the straightforward one: round steel case, plain polished bezel, silver sunburst dial, applied slim baton indices, a sweep seconds hand and the same five-link polished bracelet. It is the Gold Classic below in steel rather than gold tone, which is the version to buy if the rest of the jewellery is silver.
The Philippe Lauren Steel Rectangular at 58 euro (5,600 L) is the shape break, and the only rectangular watch in the range: a rectangular steel case with bevelled cut corners on the bezel, silver sunburst dial, applied slim baton indices, on a steel bracelet with the link screws left on show.
The Gold-Tone Dress Watches
The Philippe Lauren Gold Square Crystal at 59 euro (5,700 L) is the dressier one: gold-tone steel, square case, crystal-set bezel, silver dial with black Roman numerals, gold-tone hands, matching bracelet. The Philippe Lauren Gold Classic at 59 euro (5,700 L) is the quiet one: small round case, silver sunburst dial, slim baton indices, five-link bracelet, and the one to buy if it will be worn every day rather than twice a year.
Gold tone here is plating over steel, not solid gold. Our guide to plated gold covers how long it lasts.
Which Philippe Lauren to Buy
- One watch for work and weekends. Philippe Lauren Steel Sport Black Dial at 64 euro (6,200 L).
- You will genuinely time something. Philippe Lauren Black Square Chronograph at 69 euro (6,700 L).
- You want the one people ask about. Philippe Lauren Steel Sport Blue Dial at 72 euro (7,000 L). Blue sunburst dial, three subdials, pushers on the case side. We have not confirmed what the pushers do, so we do not say. Buy it for the dial.
- A gift for her that gets worn. Philippe Lauren Gold Classic at 59 euro (5,700 L).
- A gift for her for the evening. Philippe Lauren Gold Square Crystal at 59 euro (5,700 L).
- The cheapest way into the brand. Philippe Lauren Steel Crystal Blue at 52 euro (5,000 L). Crystal-set bezel in two rows, deep blue sunburst dial, crystal indices, and it costs less than anything else with this badge on it.
Tip: the price is the same at the counter and on WhatsApp. If you are stuck between two, message us and we will photograph both under the same light. The whole Philippe Lauren range sits on one page.
What This Money Does Not Buy
No sapphire crystal. We claim sapphire only where we can prove it, and that is the Hislon range and one Romanson, not this brand. No published movement and no water-resistance rating. We publish neither for Philippe Lauren, so ask us about the exact model before it goes near water, and treat the range as watches for rain and hand washing rather than swimming. Gold tone is plating. A surface layer over steel that thins at the edges over years, and salt water takes it off fastest, so keep the gold-tone pieces out of the sea. The full story is in our gold or steel guide.
And this is not a luxury watch. It is a well-finished fashion watch with a steel case and a 1-year guarantee, at a price where most of what else you could buy is worse. For a watch built to last decades, that is the Hislon range, at a different price altogether.
How to Get One, in Durrës or Anywhere in Albania
Every watch above is at Rruga Aleksander Goga in Durrës, Monday to Saturday from 8:30 to 20:30, no appointment. From Tirana, Shkodër, Vlorë or anywhere else, message us on WhatsApp at +355 67 571 6090: delivery is free, normally 3 to 7 days, and you pay the courier in Lekë when the watch is in your hand. Every one is brand new, with a 1-year guarantee and 30 days to return it in store. The rest of the counter at this money is in our guide to watches under 10,000 Lek.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Philippe Lauren should I buy?
For one watch that covers work and weekends, the Steel Sport Black Dial at 64 euro (6,200 L). If you want a stopwatch that runs, the Black Square Chronograph at 69 euro (6,700 L) is the cheapest real chronograph we sell. If you want the dial people stop at, the blue Steel Sport at 72 euro (7,000 L). For her, the Gold Classic at 59 euro (5,700 L).
Are all Philippe Lauren watches chronographs?
No. The chronographs are the PL2427 and PL2435 models, all with three subdials, pushers and a date window. The Steel Sport models have a faceted bezel and an integrated bracelet, the steel dress watches have no date and no subdials, and the gold-tone dress watches sit beside them. The blue-dial Steel Sport has three subdials and pushers on the case side, and it is not on our verified chronograph list, so we describe the dial and leave it there. If you want a working stopwatch, buy one of the chronographs.
How much does a Philippe Lauren watch cost in Albania?
The Steel Crystal Blue is the least expensive at 52 euro (5,000 L) and the dearest models are 72 euro (7,000 L), with the Steel Classic and the Steel Rectangular at 58 euro (5,600 L), the black Steel Sport at 64 euro (6,200 L) and the Black Square Chronograph at 69 euro (6,700 L) in between. Every one is brand new with our 1-year guarantee, and you can pay the courier in cash anywhere in Albania.
Is Philippe Lauren a good watch for the money?
Yes, for what it is. A steel case, applied indices and a bracelet that closes properly, at a price where most of the alternatives are worse. We do not publish a movement or a water-resistance rating for this brand, so ask us about the exact model before it goes near water. It is a well-finished fashion watch rather than a luxury one, and it carries our 1-year guarantee.
Where can I see Philippe Lauren watches in Durrës?
At our shop on Rruga Aleksander Goga in Durrës, Monday to Saturday from 8:30 to 20:30, no appointment needed. The whole range sits on one counter, so you can put the black dial next to the blue one. If you cannot come, message us on +355 67 571 6090 and we will send photographs and deliver anywhere in Albania.
The Blue Dial Is the One People Stop At
The Philippe Lauren Steel Sport Blue Dial is 72 euro (7,000 L), brand new with a 1-year guarantee, on the counter in Durrës. Free delivery anywhere in Albania, and you pay the courier when it arrives.
Rruga Aleksander Goga · Durrës 2001 · Albania · +355 67 571 6090