A lot of Patek Philippe designs are not that great. The Patek Philippe 6007 for instance. Nice watch. But, if it didn't say Patek Philippe on it, would people really give it a lot of thought? Would it sell in the quantities it currently enjoys? Doubtful. Another watch collector acquaintance happened to wax poetically among a small group about the Patek Philippe Neptune and I basically made the same statement - "if this watch didn't have the Patek Philippe logo, would you be as enamored with the design?" I didn't mean to embarrass the fella in front of the group (and he took it very well), but the Patek 5080 is definitely not considered to be a great design.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of the world buys these things as indicators that they belong. Not because they truly appreciate good design nor quality. Good post!