Patek Philippe

Hi all,

I read through the press release on PP's site regarding the much awaited PP seal. They have taken steps to independently assess the quality and the process. Does that mean that any watch company can take its watches to PP to be assigned the PP seal? Otherwise, why on earth would they go through so much trouble if the seal can only be awarded to PP? I appreciate that they want differentiate/distance themselves from the rest of the herd that can obtain, occasionally, a geneva seal, but so what?

Just thinking out aloud here and trying to understand how the think,

Constantine

hi, i have to agree with you. i do not understand the meaning o f the pp seal in relation to basically only pp watches. if you read what they say in the web site is really not much different than before i have always being ipressed with their quality anyway but i felt safer with knowing they had the well known geneva seal. i owe a pp 5146 and been very happy with the watch. it seem to me to be known and prestigious they need to offer the seal to other compnies i.e vacheron etc. then they will know the real prestige of the seal thanks i would luke the opinion of other purists.

unless this seal of approval is open to everybody who meets the criteria, it seems to me that this is a waste of resources. not to mention the fact that it is a sign of getting drunk on their own success. a prelude to a downfall.......

on the other hand, if anybody can take their watches to them for the PP seal, then this is a sign of leadership.

Bottom line: the PP seal will either be a very good thing, or a very bad thing for the company. As always, time will tell.

i hope the company clarifies this in due course.

JLC has their Master Control 1000 hours, so I guess PP will have their own standard of testing now too. 

-MW

It will also be interesting to see if Patek opts to post a specific list of criteria required to meet the standards of this seal in the same way that the Poincon de Geneve / Geneva Seal does. Without such a list any comparison would of course not be possible, rendering such the seal meaningless. Does any of this smell a bit like Napoleons' self coronation ?
This message has been edited by RNJH on 2009-03-25 08:12:24

hi , i agree thare is some element of Napoleon's self coronation. like i said before it seems meaningless under seen amd accepted by other excellent watch companies ie mainly vacheron constantin because rolex as well known is in a different class thanks jorge

With some very good view points.

I suppose only time will tell whether it was a good or bad decision.

Even if PP seal is open to other brands, why would those brands subject their watches to PP's scrutiny for their certification and approval.  For example, can you imagine Lange, VC, AP and etc need PP to tell them that their watches meet PP's standard.

If PP seal is only confined to PP watches, it is even more ridiculous.

Just my always-devalued 2 sen.

Regards

Ling

I agree that other brands probably don't want to subject their watches to other brand's seal.

"If PP seal is only confined to PP watches, it is even more ridiculous."

Maybe PP is trying to establish testing/certification standards higher or more stringent than what is currently out there and be the benchmark for the industry (or just another marketing ploy to be known as 'better' ). 

For example, JLC does this with their Master Control 1000 hours instead of COSC certification and no other brand carries the Master Control 1000 hour testing either.

-MW

If the seal was just a criteria of producing process only for PP and not for any others, there is no need to put any seal on it.  Just put "Patek Philippe" on the case or dial is enough. Patek does not have to prove anything through the seal. Its brand is a certificate. my 0.2 cents.

Hello porter505!

Yes, I agree that it's kind of silly to do these things with seals and certificates and such.  But I think it is along the lines of (for example) the MC 1000 hours and Qualite Fleuier style of  "our Quality Control/In-house testing/etc. is exceptional" reasoning.

-MW

Hi,

I understand that leaving the Geneva Seal that is an outside reference has its price, but if it is for a greater commitment to quality, why should this be absurd?

Patek Philippe is fully entitled to promise more. What we must look at how they give us what is promised.

I'm preparing a subject on this new seal.

Cheers

Dje

If I am wrong, PP would not have abandoned Geneva Seal.

It is the honesty and commitment of a brand to make high quality watches, not depending on a seal.  If I am not mistaken, none of the watches produced by the independent watchmakers need Geneva Seal or ...

Similarly, are all companies with ISO certification actually good companies? Certainly not.

Regards

Ling