Spending tens of thousands on a watch can seem a bit out of this world. But this is what watch enthusiasts and connoisseurs often pay for a Patek Philippe. These watches are known to be some of the most expensive in the world. But what makes them special? Surely they’re not just overpriced timepieces, in this post we take a look at the brand in more detail, exploring what makes their watches so special.
Components redefined
All of the parts in Patek Philippe watches are made in-house. These means the manufacturer melts metals and pours into perfect little shapes that are then polished to perfection. For example, a simple pinion in the movement of a Patek Philippe can go through more than 60 steps to finish.
All of the secrets and the real worth of the Patek Philippe is in its components. Most of them aren’t even visible. But the manufacturer has been known for working each of these components to perfection with no upper budget limit.
You can see just how good these watches are by comparing them to other expensive luxurious watches, but made to a lower standard. Omega watches use symmetrical movement wheels. Patek watches use asymmetrical wheels which come with teeth that have been individually polished.
Some even go as far to assume that a single movement component in a Patek Philippe Nautilus watch takes more time to manufacture and perfect than an entire luxury watch such as those from Omega or Blancpain, Chopard, or Vacheron Constantin.
Hand Crafted
Everything in a Patek watch is made by hand. Apart from the high-quality components, you can see some of the best aspects of craftsmanship in the design of these watches. Many come with diamonds that are all applied one by one by hand.
Timeless Value
The price of the Patek Philippe is also one of the main reasons why these are so highly valued. Their exclusivity makes them what they are today. These costs can sometimes rival even entry-level sports cars and as result CEOs, actors, as well as high profile politicians seek them out as a status symbol.
There are multiple second market watch auctions every year. These are known for selling some of the most expensive automatic watches of the moment. But they are also where you’ll find all types of wealthy watch collectors. Among these collectors, you also find Patek Philippe representatives who are buying their watches back. This goes to show just these good these really are and many of them end up at the Patek Philippe Museum in Switzerland.
Time to Make a Statement
When you buy a Patek Philippe watch, you are making a statement. You recognize you value perfection and craftsmanship beyond what money can buy.
Most of these watches are certainly overpriced, even if they are made with more care than others. But it’s the heritage and the research that go into these watches that you buy the most.
This is why you need to consider these watches when you can afford them against the top performers and watches that are also luxurious, but which aren’t made with as much attention to detail when it comes to each individual part you can’t even see oftentimes.
