If you asked a group of 10 people to name a luxury Swiss watchmaker, nine of those people would say Rolex, The tenth would say Cartier just to be difficult, From the earliest days of its inception to now, Rolex has been a brand that’s become almost synonymous with luxury, craftsmanship, and quality, Wherever you go in the world, everyone knows the name Rolex, And by and large, most people want one, A maker of status symbols as much as watches, Rolex enjoys a rare and privileged position in the watchmaking industry – but not a stranglehold, While few watchmakers can compete with Rolex in terms of sheer sales, several are putting up a good fight when it comes to everything else, Take Patek Philippe as an example, A watchmaker with a history as long and illustrious as Rolex (longer, in fact – Patek Philippe has 66 years on Rolex), Patek Philippe is a brand name that’s uttered in reverential tones in collector’s circles, Its mechanical movements have become the stuff of legend, its designs are much imitated but rarely bettered,
In the world of horology, Patek Philippe is an imposing proposition – after all, how many brands can claim responsibility for the most expensive watch ever sold at auction? How many have waiting lists that stretch over 10 years? But is it as imposing as Rolex? in a straight-out battle between Rolex and Patek Philippe, which would come out on top? In terms of sales and scale, there’s no contest, Rolex scoops the prize, Knowing the name Patek Philippe requires an interest in watches, Knowing the name Rolex requires little more than basic sentience, ‘Rolex’ has entered the common parlance in a way that ‘Patek Philippe’ simply hasn’t, But being the more well-known of the two doesn’t necessarily make Rolex the best, There’s more to life than popularity and there’s more to watches than ubiquity, So, without further ado, let the fight begin…
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