Patek Philippe

This question was put to me by a collector yesterday evening. As a collector of Patek Philippe, what other manufacturers do you also collect and why?

Are you mainly a vintage Patek collector, modern or both?


Do you see Patek as fulfilling a specific role in your collection?

What other manufacturers do you collect?


For me, my Patek Philippe collection is about 60% vintage and 40% modern. There are essentially three other manufacturers in my collection; Rolex, JLC and Omega, with the Omegas being by far the smallest percentage. I see Patek Philippe as fulfilling a very specific aspect to collecting, namely the elegance and charm of the 1950s/1960s time only Calatravas as well as higher complications. I think Patek Philippe produces THE most astonishing world time watches. For my taste, I see them as the pinnacle. Similarly, I am drawn to their modern adaptation of the chronograph and split second. Rolex do not compete in this area of highly elegant chronograph. Possibly one of the few overlaps I have is the Rolex Daytona from the 1960s and the Patek 5070P....


Rolex fulfills a very different role for me. With about 80% vintage and 20% modern, I see Rolex as filling my need for a sports watch...a highly reliable vintage sports watch. There is something about a 40 year old vintage Rolex that exudes a charm that is unmistakable. It does something very few other watches can do for me. I think it is fair to say that no other manufacturer has captured that vintage sports feel that Rolex has managed. Hence a big part of my (non-Patek) collection is vintage Rolex sports models. I also have a small percentage of Omega that essentially fill a similar role. The other manufacturer in my collection is JLC. The vast majority of my JLC are modern and I started collecting the manufacturer out of an emotional and historical reason.

So yes, as a collector of Patek Philippe, I do collect other manufacturers with Rolex being the main alternative as it fills a gap that I feel Patek do not compete within. Overall, the combination of Patek Philippe and Rolex covers most bases for my collecting landscape. Of course, one could always fill specific holes in that landscape. There will ALWAYS be holes where other manuacturers excel. But as a broad canvas, Rolex and Patek cover my bases.


The question is, as a Patek Philippe collector, what other watches do you collect and why?

But I think you have presented a great topic of discussion. I look forward to some insight into the minds of the Patek collectors on this forum. I'll be enthusiastically following this post for sure!

....yes, I think it is an insightful question....one posed by a collector to me last night. It will be fascinating to see responses

And to be honest, if I had the money I would probably buy one of each. Or at least almost one of each
There are brands I simply don't like but this is personal taste. For example, but once again.... nothing wrong with the brand , it's just not my style... Richard Mille. I appreciate their watches but when I put them on my wrist, it's not for me
If I look at what I had in the past, I can only conclude I like about everything lol. Had many rolexes and many Panerai. Both. Rands were sold when I got the chance to obtain a special patek. Unfortunately these patek are above my budget so I have no other choice than selling some Panerai and or Rolex
I also had several AP ROO, 10 years ago but I also sold these to fund other watches.
In the same category fit brands like zenith, IWC, chopard, Girard Perregaux, breguet, Tudor, JLC, and others
Even once had a Lange and de Bethune
But all of these came in and went out to buy others

I must say I do not sell the pateks, except the aquanaut I once had. I simply don't like that watch

Today I still have the pateks and a few watches from JLC, rolex, zenith.... these last 3 brands are watches I got as a gift from very special persons in my life.... so these will never be sold.

So to conclude, I'm not interested is a few specific brands, if I like a watch and I can afford it I will buy it no matter what brand

If I had the necessary money I would probably never have sold a watch in the past.

Modern or vintage ? modern for me
There are exceptions but vintage is not my thing, these watches are too small for my wrist. So like the brands I don't like.... they can be beautiful and interesting.... but. It for my wrist

As a last note.... since Tudor brought us the black buy I realise these watches don't have to be expensive to admire the
The bronze, which I'm wearing now btw, is a fantastic watch and the first black bay with burgundy dial is still a joy to wear after 5 years... that watch costed only 2K

.....interesting synopsis. I think for each collector thereis no right or wrong. It is certainly true for me that i have tried a very wide range of manufacturers...like you...and in the end they have just been sold. Panerai. Blancpain. Tudor. I have owned and sold over time...though I still have one Panerai.
I think you make an interesting point about liking a watch as opposed to a manufacturer. I think I am in that category too, but I attach a lot of importance to the back-up on receives from a manufacturer. This is especially true for vintage...and was actually one of the factors that pushed me from vintage Rolex towards vintage Patek.
Interesting answers from you. Many thanks.

I started collecting mainly vintage Rolex but meanwhile I have owned and do still own quite a number of other brands, mainly old chronographs, like Heuer, Lemania, Vetta, Omega etc. I love the cool and used look of the watches showing its traces of a long life. The cool and mostly informal look of the vintage pieces was always very appealing to me.

I highly apprecciate the approach of Rolex to their watchmaking in the 1950ies to the 1980ies. By creating their reliable tool watches with a very attractive design and reliable in-house movements Rolex has made a big impact on the watch industry imho and I love to own some of the important milestones of this history and also a few modern pieces.

Best, Florian

.....very interesting...the allure of vintage Rolex is very strong. Some beautiful watches in your collection....
but just to be clear, do you own a Patek or would you say you owned multiple Rolex but no Patek Philippe?
The drive of the title question was at Patek owners. I have also posted on the Rolex forum for Rolex collectors.

and in 2011 I´ve got my first PP with a Nautilus 5712. At that time I assumed this purchase would be an exceptional event in order to amend a new style of watch to my collection. But it turned out that with this Nautilus I´ve got infected with the PP-Virus and today I own a nice number of PP models. My PP watches are all contemporary references as I like slightly larger watches (starting 38/39 mm cases).
I love both, the coolness of the vintage pieces on the one hand and the perfection of craftmanship and horological standards of Patek Philippe on the other hand. It´s big fun to rotate watches from both worlds on my wrist every day.
Eventually, your description in your initial post is exactly the way I look at my collection: Vintage Rolex (and other vintage watches) and Patek are covering my bases.

*Sorry for my bad English*

 

.....and yes, i understand the logic and process.
Thanks F...english is just fine!

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......but yes, for me, that would also make some sense. I do have exceptions to my own rules though....overlaps if you like. On vintage time only, i am basically just PP. On rugged sports models, I am Rolex. But what about the 6239 Chrono.....and Patek 5070......both sports models, but one vintage and one modern??? Its always good to deviate from rules!

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Interesting subject, Baron and I think the responses are going to be as wide as this community is.

For me, when I started into watches, I typically slowly "graduated", after a Breitling, a GP and an IWC, I finally got my first Patek and I though that's it. I'm done. Was my daily beater for over then 10 years when the unthinkable happened. I considered selling it as my style perhaps evolved or just wanted a change after that long time.

And in retrospect, this move really then got me started into collecting watches, so I have to be very thankful to that Patel for that

As it happened I went back to GP and now I'm all GP. Why, it's just me, they just seem to match my personality and taste perfectly. A bit off the beaten track, not something many people wear and appreciated, but still right there with top quality and design, long tradition etc and more reachable for the budget.

Will I go again after a Patel? Never say never!

CC

.....interesting to see how your's started!

I only have one Patek. A 5205R. Do I count as a Patek collector? Probably not But I seriously cannot find another Patek within my budget to buy. So I will answer the question in reverse. 

.....would be that you are an AP collector who has satelite watches in Rolex and Patek?

When  I started collecting watches about 30 years ago, I only was interested in vintage - sports model Rolexes and time only Pateks. Then around 1995 Philippe Stern in the most brilliant way set Patek on a new and daring venture with the introduction of the 5035 Annual Calendar. Other mid level complications followed: WTs, more ACs, chronos, calendar chronos,etc., plus amazing grand complications, e.g. 5004, 5016 and 5050. He helped usher in a modern Golden Age of Watchmaking. I was hooked. I started to buy and have continued to buy dress Pateks with complications plus the sporty Nautilus watches among others. Right now in Patek I am approximately 40/60 vintage/modern. To me Patek is the pinnacle and I have an extreme passion for their watches and great appreciation of their history.

....the thanks should be from me for your inspiration.

I think I share some ideology with you on the process.

why do YOU collect JLC? You said modern pieces, and you said emotional and historical. Why, for you?

For me, it's knowing JLC was THE watchmaker's watchmaker, and that they currently, like Patek, pretty much do everything "in-house." After visiting both factories, I saw that they were doing things almost in parallel, with the one difference being that JLC was "all under one roof," whereas Patek wasn't, but I know is building a new facility to facilitate that very idea.

What is it for you?

-Dean

....my Dad wore JLC. He died when i was 13. I inherited that watch. The first watch I bought when i could afford a nice watch was a JLC.

11 years ago I bought my first fine time piece IWC Mark XVI. I still wear it everyday. Last year I bought a Patek 5140g. Next watch, perhaps in couple of years from now, will be a Rolex sub no date. I buy my watches new and plan to keep them forever.

....interesting response.

Any Rolex in that box at all?

I guess i don't make a distinction between buying a watch and collecting. Maybe just semantic. I collect watches...but I also wear every single one of them too. I don't buy to keep in a box.....I consider myself a collector as by my definition I collect them. If i bought to "not wear", then i would call that an accumulator rather than a collector.

My question would be what is it that the AP do for you that the Patek do not....what is the reason for owning the AP.....what do they do that the PP do not?

It is funny that if I wear a Submariner, it attracts attention while e.g. Patek 5550P does not.

....he siad if you went up to the average person on the street and asked them if they had heard of Rolex, he thought 75% would say yes. he thought only 5% would say yes to Patek.
We debated what "average" meant and what specific "street" one might be on!! But as a genralised concept, I was surprised by his estimates. My wife reckoned the same as our son.

May I ask why you prefer platinum over e.g white gold? I don't have any experince with platinum myself. Is it more scratch resistant or do you just think it looks better? Regards M

and in professional hands it can always be re-furbished.

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my Impression is that scratch resistance of PP is pretty low and not better than WG.
Refurbishment of PT is very difficult, even for professionals and I didn´t like the results that I have seen so far. E.g.: on a polished PT clasp of a Daytona the surface looks somehow "blurry" to me. A WG piece looks perfect after polishing but of course there is the loss of material as disadvantage.