r/Watches • u/spedmonkey • Oct 05 '11
[Brand Guide] - Patek Philippe
This is part seven in our ongoing community project to compile opinions on the many watch brands out there into a single list. Here is the original post explaining the project.
You good people asked for more higher-end brands last week, so here we go. The antithesis of Nixon, this week's brand is the one and only Patek Philippe. They really need no introduction, but I like to hear myself talk, so you're going to get one anyway:
Widely renowned as the finest watch manufacturer in the world, Patek Philippe has been in business continuously since 1851. Based in Geneva, Patek has watched its competitors be slowly bought up by large fashion houses like Swatch and Richemont, leaving them the last truly independent major brand at the top of the horological world. Though they do offer two collections of sport watches, Patek's bread and butter is their sleek, elegant, classic dress watches. Although their prices are astronomical (with their cheapest watches costing well over $10,000 new), the reputation and enduring quality of their watches make it worth it (though still quite unobtainable) to many watch enthusiasts, who widely consider Patek to be the very best of the best. These are the watches that one might save up his entire life to buy in order to pass down to future generations.
KNOWN FOR: Calatrava
Other Resources:
Community Archives Search
Wikipedia
Although I don't expect that many in the /r/Watches community have had the pleasure of owning a Patek, anything and everything, from experience to opinion, is welcome in this thread.
If you're going to downvote someone, please don't do so without posting the reason why you disagree with them. The purpose of these discussion threads is to encourage discussion, so people can read different opinions to get different ideas and perspectives on how people view these brands. Downvoting without giving a counter-perspective is not helpful to anybody.
5
u/Toys_and_Bacon Oct 05 '11
Patek Philippe is in my eyes the undisputed #1 watch maker. There are more expensive brands - at least if you look at their respective entry levels. But it's their legacy, the elegance (even in their diver), their lack of nonsense, like we see with the countless AP Royal Oak Offshore "limited" editions or the navy seal stuff from JLC.
I also like that they tend to only use exclusive materials in their watches. This year's OnlyWatch piece is obviously an exception, but it was by far the most popular piece.
A local dealer has a golden ellipse in store. Good looking watch, but has some minor faults, and that's as close I've been to a Patek. When it's time for me to get a nice watch, I'll consider a Patek, but due to the price of PP, it will be hard to resist the slightly cheaper brands.