Who owns Patek Philippe?
Thierry Stern is both the owner and director of Patek Philippe, one of Switzerland’s four leading independent watch brands. In an interview he explains why the prestigious Geneva-based company produces almost all its timepieces in-house, while delegating sales to outside partners. As such, the Holy Trinity of Watches is made up of three ultra-high-end Swiss watch brands: Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, and Patek Philippe. All three of these prestigious brands boast very long histories, which not only demonstrate centuries-old experience, but also continued relevance in today’s market.And frankly, these two pieces will not appeal to the same consumer! Today, we are going to take a look at what some have dubbed the watch industry’s big four: Audemars Piguet, Rolex, Richard Mille, and Patek Philippe. Each of these hallowed brands has its own distinct story, character, and style.
Is Patek more luxury than Rolex?
Both brands represent exceptional quality in the luxury watch market. Patek Philippe wins for traditional craftsmanship and exclusivity, while Rolex excels in innovation, reliability, and accessibility. The “better” choice depends on your personal priorities, lifestyle, and budget. Well, Rolex has always focused on producing larger quantities of durable tool watches. The brand prioritizes functionality and robustness over intricate designs and advanced complications. While Rolex watches are just as hard to find as the Big Three, they don’t quite align with the exclusivity of the club.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.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.