RECOMMENDED READING: 5 reasons why Patek Philippe is the most coveted watch brand in the world

Andrew McUtchen

There are lots of in-depth, scholarly dissertations of why Patek Philippe is, and always will be, immensely coveted by collectors. But, in the spirit of Mark Twain, who said along the lines of, “I apologise for the long letter, I didn’t have time to write you a short one,” we found an impressively short post on collectability.com that sums it up with military-style efficiency.

A sample from the article, on the subject of scarcity and rarity: “With such a wide variety of production, and over 180 years of making watches, it is especially notable how few Pateks actually exist. It is estimated that fewer than one million Patek watches have been made since the day the company started. (This is a relatively tiny number when one considers that several of the other major watchmakers produce over one million timepieces per year.)”

We won’t steal all the thunder from this superbly written article, but will give you the TLDR top line on the five reasons the brand is the most highly sought in the world (and this is simply indisputable in the current day) to whet your appetite even more.

1. Craftmanship – “From the day Antoine Norbert de Patek started the company, the goal was to make ‘the most perfect watch’. Over time the definition of ‘perfect’ has changed for the company, but the focus has always been on making the most accurate and aesthetically beautiful watches the world has ever seen.”
2. Design & Aesthetic – “With the design of watches, no other brand has the historical breadth to draw on when it comes to aesthetics as Patek Philippe.”
3. Scarcity & Rarity – “The ability to buy a true work of art, made by hand, for a relatively small amount of money is the ultimate value proposition for collecting Patek Philippe.”
4. Value & Investment – “Investment is not the focus of Collectability and I always advise people not to collect solely to make a profit. Collecting as an investment generally does not end well, as people make mistakes, buying for the wrong reasons.”
5. Archival Resources – “Scholarship is what matters most when collecting Patek Philippe. Buying modern watches from authorised dealers is the only way to know for sure where the watch came from the day you buy it. However, resources exist that make it easy for collectors to check their watches directly with Patek Philippe Geneva.”

To read the full article, hit here.