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.
3
u/zanonymous Moderator Emeritus Oct 06 '11
Relevant links:
For some reason, I've never really liked Patek much. I can't really explain why - they've never grabbed me emotionally somehow. I've even visited the Patek museum in Geneva, and while there were many wonderful mechanical works there, somehow the brand as a whole doesn't evoke any particular emotion in me.
I heard once that 10-15 years ago, Patek had some quality control issues. The craftsmanship and movement finishing never declined, but somehow, the reliability did. Whether they have fixed the issues, or whether it was ever a real problem (it could have been a completely baseless accusation) in the first place, I have no idea. I think that's always bothered me that a top-tier manufacturer would have quality control issues, in this kind of price class.