What Makes a Patek Philippe More Valuable? 7 Reasons for the Brand's Success

Patek Philippe is known as the brand that reigns supreme among all Swiss watches. But how did it come to be this way? Rudiger Bucher, editor-in-chief of Kronos Germany, explains the seven reasons for Patek Philippe's success.

Reason 1: Expertise

　Patek Philippe has mastered all aspects of watchmaking, from manual-winding two-hand watches to complications such as second time zones, annual calendars, and chronographs, as well as grand complications such as tourbillons, split-second chronographs, and minute repeaters. The craftsmanship of artisans who have mastered the art of craftsmanship, passed down from generation to generation, is combined with modern high-tech machine tools.

Reason 2: Tradition

　This level of expertise isn't achieved overnight: Patek Philippe has been making timepieces continuously throughout its nearly 180-year history, resulting in a wealth of experience and craftsmanship passed down from generation to generation.

Reason 3: Future Prospects

　Despite Patek Philippe's legendary heritage, the manufacture is not stuck in the past. Rather, the company has maintained traditional watchmaking techniques while also investing in new materials, technologies, and manufacturing processes. Patek Philippe has also consistently chosen to introduce new designs, such as the 2015 Calatrava Pilot Travel Time pilot's watch.

Reason 4: Quality

　Producing high-quality watches is of paramount importance to Patek Philippe. It's no exaggeration to say that the entire company is designed around that goal. With the introduction of the Patek Philippe Seal in 2009, quality was based on strict regulations that exceed industry standards. These standards don't just apply to the watches themselves. Patek Philippe also sets the highest standards for the training of its salespeople, watchmakers, and customer service staff, thoroughly pursuing quality from sales to after-sales service.

Reason 5: Family-run

　Patek Philippe was founded in 1839 and has been run by the Stern family for four generations. This has allowed the company's management philosophy and policies to be implemented with a high degree of consistency. This also prevents drastic changes in management policy due to shareholder wishes, ensuring that the company's ideals are maintained. This leads to reasons 6 and 7, which will be discussed below.

Reason 6: Value

　People who buy a Patek Philippe know that if they ever decide to sell it in the future, they will likely lose very little. While it's impossible to predict every individual case, many of them may even increase in value over time. This is a very reassuring factor, even though many people buy watches purely for their own enjoyment and have no intention of reselling them anytime soon.

Reason 7: Perfect decoration

　The Manufacture's hand-finishing is of a high technical and stylistic quality: even an inconspicuous part such as a gear requires between 40 and 60 operations. Artisanal processes such as enameling, delicate engraving, gem-setting and inlay play a crucial role.