We picked our modern Holy Trinity, so it was time for our Instagram audience to do the same
Buffy AcaciaLast week, we pondered the established Holy Trinity of watchmaking in Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin. Those three have undoubtedly earned the title, but if we reduce the scope to modern times, are they still the best of the best? How can you even define the best, when the factors could include widespread influence, overall sales, or build quality? These are the questions we had to ask ourselves as we each came up with a new Holy Trinity for today. Our lineups made their way to Instagram, where you had the chance to time in. Here’s what we learned.
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Seiko feels the love
Even though Seiko has been steadily increasing its prices for years and moving slightly upmarket, it’s still the sweetheart of the watch enthusiast community at large. Seiko watches are still pretty good value considering the wealth of heritage to pull designs from, their durability, and their sheer variety, so it shouldn’t be surprising that so many people consider Seiko as one of the best watchmakers of the modern era.
What I find most interesting is how many people elected Seiko, but not Grand Seiko. Whether or not they are counting Grand Seiko under the Seiko umbrella or not, it shows that there is respect being placed on even the most humble of the Japanese brand’s catalogue. In our original article, Jamie chose Grand Seiko for its technological value in a high-end bracket, even going so far as to say it embarrasses the old Holy Trinity. That was a bold statement, but it’s been such a fan favourite for so many years, it’s easy to understand why that may be true at least on a popularity level.
It’s hard to argue against Rolex
Of every watch brand in the world, none have harnessed the power of marketing as well as Rolex. That’s not to say that Rolex doesn’t make good watches, because they are in fact some of the best in the world. However, the hype and mystique that has been built around the brand is unprecedented. It holds a 30% market share of the entire Swiss watch industry, and while conglomerates like LVMH, Richemont, and Swatch might have a lot of power, no other single brand even comes close to Rolex.
Sales aside, Rolex has entered the collective consciousness even outside watch circles. Pretty much anyone would name Rolex if asked to name a watch brand, and it’s almost become a stand-in for referring to a luxury watch. If your qualifier for your Holy Trinity is representing modern watchmaking, then Rolex absolutely needs to be included. It may not necessarily be your favourite brand, or even objectively one of the best, but Rolex’s impact can’t be underestimated.
Loyalty to the OGs
I suppose it is a little presumptuous to suggest that there even needs to be a new Holy Trinity. After all, Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin do still produce some of the best watches in the world. Yes, you may be tired of seeing Royal Oaks. You may be annoyed by Patek Philippe discontinuing fan-favourite models, only to replace them with stand-ins that are harder to buy. You may not appreciate the commitment to rose gold that Vacheron Constantin is sticking to, but all of those watches are still adored and desired more than most. Ignoring their historic superiority could also be considered unfair, as they’ve earned their place because of it.
You could also make the argument that Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe have been gaining on Rolex in terms of its impact on popular culture. The brand names certainly aren’t quite as catchy, but that hasn’t stopped them from being name-dropped in hit songs and spotted on every red carpet event. If the Holy Trinity is supposed to be associated with wealth and glamour, then the original trilogy can still claim the crown.
Zach’s choices win the day
The vast majority of comments on this post were people picking their own Holy Trinity, and that was indeed the idea. However, out of the few comments that took notice of our line-ups, Zach had the most support. Going down the route of high-luxury independents, Zach’s Holy Trinity consisted of F.P. Journe, Akrivia, and Roger W. Smith. It’s hard to argue against them as being the pinnacle of watchmaking when there’s such an immense level of skill and knowledge behind every tiny design choice and minute finishing detail. Cultural relevance goes out the window when a watch can make you salivate.
One of the funniest parts of Zach’s win in this regard, is how little thought was needed. He’d stick with the original trio if he could, but in being forced to pick a new Trinity, he went straight for the cream of the crop. That’s an approach that has resonated with the audience for this post, because why would you settle for anything less? Maybe embracing value for money and brand awareness is overthinking the concept of the Holy Trinity to begin with, and they should remain as much of a pipe dream for the average collector as the Holy Grail itself.