Can I just walk in and buy a Patek?
The chances of being able to buy a watch from Patek Philippe is the same as trying to walk in and buy a brand new Rolex Daytona… Slim to none. This is because most of the collections from the brand have an extensive waitlist that stem from under a year to around 8 years at the time of writing. Summary. Regardless of which you choose, you will get a quality product but a Patek will be a cut or a few cuts above Cartier. Cartier, however, is the more affordable brand and they are both great luxury watchmakers. Both brands have collections that are very popular watches, and both are very recognizable brands.Obviously, Pateks are more expensive, but that doesn’t necessarily make them “better” in the grand scheme of things. Patek has been making watches for 180 years, while Rolex has only been around for 110,” notes Bob’s Watches founder and renowned Rolex collector, Paul Altieri.