14-09-2014, 06:19 PM
One thing i do not like about many watch enthusiasts is their blind faith in their favorite brands . And Patek followers are some of the worst you can encounter . It is like a religious fanaticism , that deliberately choses to believe everything that Patek tells them .
Patek are a brand steeped in tradition , and with a reputation in the watch industry that is second to none . They have made some of the greatest mechanical complications , and some of the best finished watches you can buy . So you might ask , whats not to like about them ?
I do not believe they make the best factory finished watches anymore . Lange & Sohne do in my opinion and the man who is regarded as the greatest watch finisher in the world Phillipe Dufour agrees with me . He used to work for patek , and did not leave in bad standing
They do not make great complications anymore . Many brands have surpassed them . Indeed it is a long long time ago , they last made anything that made the watch world sit up and take notice . Langs Datograph left Patek with egg on their face .
Their watches have only recently become , what some call true inhouse . For the most of their history , they have used outside suppliers for their calibers , and indeed their case work and bracelets . So when you buy an older Patek it has most likely a JLC caliber in a out of house case So what you are really paying for is the finishing of the caliber . Okay this is a simplerfied summing up , but it is closer to the truth than most people think .
The design department at Patek consists of one person , who also cleans the factory in his spare time . Everytime they present a new masterpiece i start to yawn . Looking at these watches is just about as interesting as watching the growth of grass . They do not make one watch that really takes your breath away . I know Patek owners like understatement in their watches . And i suppose if Piccaso painted the same picture one thousand times , they would buy them all . In all fairness they have made one watch , the Nautilus that is recognized instantly as a Patek . Designed by Gerald Genta who also did the AP royal oak amongst others .
One thing this brand does that really sticks in my throat , is their blatent manipulation of the used watch market . They are guilty of buying their own watches at auctions . By buying their own watches at grossly inflated prices , they created the myth of Patek . Forcing the price of their used watches to ridiculous hights . Some might say supply and demand , i say some people like to be fooled . They have got so many watch critics on their payroll , that i have heard rumors that they are building a special factory with a Michelin restaurant in it . These critics worship everything Patek make , without really looking at the bloody watch .
Is buying a Patek a good Investment ? Some say, no watch is a good Investment . It is not that Black and white . If you have a few million lying around , and use it to buy a Patek complication , i am sure you will make a lot of money by just keeping it for a few years before selling it again . Just compair the price of the Eric Clapton Patek when he bought it , with the price it was recently sold for . Patek love it when a famous person buys one of their watches , all that free publicity . They have got the Graves watch coming up for auction soon . I bet it breaks the previous world record , they need to feed the myth .
Are they as exclusive as some people like to think ? The answer to this is a resounding no . There are at this time a few brands who have surpassed them in this department . Do they still have prestige in the eyes of the great watch public ? Of course they do , and will most likely keep it for many years to come . Do they make watches with the best finishing you can buy ? No they do not , and this myth should only exist in the minds of people who know nothing about watches . Would i buy one ? I have owned one . Would i buy one again? No way , i can think of so many better watches for the same money .
Why do i prefere Lange ? They have the dignity that Patek used to have . They are only producing about 5-6000 watches a year compaired to Pateks 45000+ . That makes them more exclusive in my eyes . They are more inventive and their finishing is better . They go about the business of building good watches without trying to manipulate their buyers . I know their are independent Watch makers that compair or even surpass Patek or Lange . But they are not considered to be factory watches .
I read a debate recently that really made me laugh . It was about Pateks policy regarding who is allowed to buy one of their watches . I was amazed , and imagined myself back in the 18 century . The Upstairs downstairs of watchmaking . Rolls Royce used to tell their customers when asked about the horsepower of their engines . That it was sufficiant . I bet they would not try this today . Of course there is demand for Patek watches . And what is left over after they have sold to their friends in the watch trade , must go to someone So some genius at Patek thought it would add to the exclusivity , if they started to vet their customers . What a load of codswallop . Of course its one way of making sure you do not see your cleaning lady wearing a Patek Unless she goes to a watch auction .
The usual unintelligent answer to anyone who dares to criticise Patek , is this . You are a minority , and 99% of watch people do not agree with you . You will notice that they rarely mention the watches in question . And they firmly believe that the majority are always right in everything . I have got news for them . 99% of watch people are stupid concerning watches in my opinion . They love to believe everything they read in watch brochures and everything the guide tells them when they visit the factorys . I have more respect for people who make their own opinions even when i disagree with them . But it is so easy to recognise a watch pundit who is just repeating the brand doctrine . And these guys may fool many people , but not me
Patek are a brand steeped in tradition , and with a reputation in the watch industry that is second to none . They have made some of the greatest mechanical complications , and some of the best finished watches you can buy . So you might ask , whats not to like about them ?
I do not believe they make the best factory finished watches anymore . Lange & Sohne do in my opinion and the man who is regarded as the greatest watch finisher in the world Phillipe Dufour agrees with me . He used to work for patek , and did not leave in bad standing
They do not make great complications anymore . Many brands have surpassed them . Indeed it is a long long time ago , they last made anything that made the watch world sit up and take notice . Langs Datograph left Patek with egg on their face .
Their watches have only recently become , what some call true inhouse . For the most of their history , they have used outside suppliers for their calibers , and indeed their case work and bracelets . So when you buy an older Patek it has most likely a JLC caliber in a out of house case
So what you are really paying for is the finishing of the caliber . Okay this is a simplerfied summing up , but it is closer to the truth than most people think .The design department at Patek consists of one person , who also cleans the factory in his spare time . Everytime they present a new masterpiece i start to yawn . Looking at these watches is just about as interesting as watching the growth of grass . They do not make one watch that really takes your breath away . I know Patek owners like understatement in their watches . And i suppose if Piccaso painted the same picture one thousand times , they would buy them all . In all fairness they have made one watch , the Nautilus that is recognized instantly as a Patek . Designed by Gerald Genta who also did the AP royal oak amongst others .
One thing this brand does that really sticks in my throat , is their blatent manipulation of the used watch market . They are guilty of buying their own watches at auctions . By buying their own watches at grossly inflated prices , they created the myth of Patek . Forcing the price of their used watches to ridiculous hights . Some might say supply and demand , i say some people like to be fooled . They have got so many watch critics on their payroll , that i have heard rumors that they are building a special factory with a Michelin restaurant in it . These critics worship everything Patek make , without really looking at the bloody watch .
Is buying a Patek a good Investment ? Some say, no watch is a good Investment . It is not that Black and white . If you have a few million lying around , and use it to buy a Patek complication , i am sure you will make a lot of money by just keeping it for a few years before selling it again . Just compair the price of the Eric Clapton Patek when he bought it , with the price it was recently sold for . Patek love it when a famous person buys one of their watches , all that free publicity . They have got the Graves watch coming up for auction soon . I bet it breaks the previous world record , they need to feed the myth .
Are they as exclusive as some people like to think ? The answer to this is a resounding no . There are at this time a few brands who have surpassed them in this department . Do they still have prestige in the eyes of the great watch public ? Of course they do , and will most likely keep it for many years to come . Do they make watches with the best finishing you can buy ? No they do not , and this myth should only exist in the minds of people who know nothing about watches . Would i buy one ? I have owned one . Would i buy one again? No way , i can think of so many better watches for the same money .
Why do i prefere Lange ? They have the dignity that Patek used to have . They are only producing about 5-6000 watches a year compaired to Pateks 45000+ . That makes them more exclusive in my eyes . They are more inventive and their finishing is better . They go about the business of building good watches without trying to manipulate their buyers . I know their are independent Watch makers that compair or even surpass Patek or Lange . But they are not considered to be factory watches .
I read a debate recently that really made me laugh . It was about Pateks policy regarding who is allowed to buy one of their watches . I was amazed , and imagined myself back in the 18 century . The Upstairs downstairs of watchmaking . Rolls Royce used to tell their customers when asked about the horsepower of their engines . That it was sufficiant . I bet they would not try this today . Of course there is demand for Patek watches . And what is left over after they have sold to their friends in the watch trade , must go to someone
So some genius at Patek thought it would add to the exclusivity , if they started to vet their customers . What a load of codswallop . Of course its one way of making sure you do not see your cleaning lady wearing a Patek Unless she goes to a watch auction . The usual unintelligent answer to anyone who dares to criticise Patek , is this . You are a minority , and 99% of watch people do not agree with you . You will notice that they rarely mention the watches in question . And they firmly believe that the majority are always right in everything . I have got news for them . 99% of watch people are stupid concerning watches in my opinion . They love to believe everything they read in watch brochures and everything the guide tells them when they visit the factorys . I have more respect for people who make their own opinions even when i disagree with them . But it is so easy to recognise a watch pundit who is just repeating the brand doctrine . And these guys may fool many people , but not me
- Jeg er engelsk - bor i Danmark, forstår dansk - men foretrækker at skrive på engelsk 
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