Patek Philippe

Moderator Patrick_y explores brand perception and asks if our appreciation for a brand changes as that brand turns mainstream. And a little background on how a brand turns mainstream without the use of traditional advertising nor social media, but with ra...  

High horology is an art form that has gone underappreciated for years. And I'm happy that Patek Philippe has become so successful that it's mainstream. It wasn't easy. It took a lot of time, patience, manpower, and money to shape the brand into what it is... 

or could it just be the "watch of the moment" to him? Granted, he may know more about watches than any man alive. Personally I think a lot of rappers, entertainers etc. wear what seems to be fashionable at the time. Maybe I'm all wrong on this.

They do seem to go after whatever is hot at the moment!

To me, this is hardly a sign of the brand "going mainstream", so I disagree with your premise. Also, you seem to think PP is (or was) a secret? I disagree there as well.

You're right, I agree. Patek Philippe wasn't a truly big secret. But it was virtually unknown to the vast majority of the public. 10 years ago, the only brands people knew for watches were primarily Rolex, Omega, and Seiko. Today, Patek Philippe is much m... 

as the 'poster' brand for your analogy. Do I mind any brand obtaining greater visibility/exposure through mass-media product placement and general advertising? Of course not, as they say, no publicity is bad publicity.... With this said, does that drive m... 

Rolex has been very mainstream for many decades. But Patek Philippe is a more recent phenomenon as it's now very familiar amongst the general public, not just the more affluent general public. Signor Armani is definitely correct in many ways. The word "lu... 

in the real estate business at this point in time, 'luxury' branding is extremely over-used when it comes to residential real estate, especially apartments and condominiums - almost every other building, regardless of its physical condition, is touting 'L... 

There's no universal standard. I was once in a less advanced country staying at a five star hotel that I found just intolerable. The hotel staff came to me and asked why I was so difficult as this was a five star hotel. I asked the staff member how does h... 

Einstein's relativity applies all over the spectrum of business services and products ........

pricing was high but still understandable. There were some wailists for sport models but everything else (or almost) was in stock. When there was a list it was just possible to be patient and get surprised in a few months. Like you pointed out Patek was a... 

I agree. It shouldn't detract me from enjoying a Patek Philippe. BUT... at the same time, the overdone hype is causing me to enjoy it less, it's also causing me to fear for safety, I can't wear the watch in many neighborhoods anymore. And the fact that ra... 

to consider Patek mainstream. When I bought my 5711 in 2012 you could just walk into the AD, hand over the plastic, and take the watch home. I liked it that way and the Nautilus was my primary daily wear for the next 5.years. Didn't matter to me who saw i... 

Back in the day when people made their first million, they would say they wanted a nice Rolex watch. Today, a Patek Philippe is very often mentioned as well. High school kids who listen to rap music know what a Patek Philippe is today and its place at the... 

I agree for sure brand awareness has gone staight up with Patek. And sadly I have recently felt a heightened awareness about personal safety wearing certain watches. Before it never even crossed my mind, but in the past year now I think about it.

And yes, personal safety is now an issue while wearing certain watches. Even Beverly Hills which used to be renowned as a safe destination can be dangerous for diners at a pasta restaurant near Rodeo Drive simply because one of the guests wore a Richard M... 

some Patek models can attract unwanted attention especially when travelling. This was not the case a few years ago but now, with the crazy hyped prices, it is easy to see how it could get dangerous. One of my latest acquisition goes in a totally different...  

Switzerland is definitely not as safe as it used to be. Unfortunately. Dubai is fairly safe. I'm told Monaco is safe.

I feel safer in Switzerland than Dubai, well home is home I guess. Perhaps it has to do with lifestyle too, nightlife not so big for me

Having been going to Switzerland for 20 odd years since I was a teenager, I definitely feel some cities have become worse in Switzerland. I mostly go to Geneva, and Geneva has definitely changed for the worse over the years. I've been to Zurich less, but ... 

...if anything, I will go out of my way to NOT buy something because it is endorsed by a celebrity.

You are still influenced or even just introduced to a brand because of it. You may not act upon it, but it may slightly alter your perception of the brand.

...but I still don't give a flying *&%$ about celebrity endorsements : )

But it may bring you some exposure to the brand. And familiarity with a brand makes one more likely to purchase that one. For instance, let's say you saw a Patek Philippe and a Vacheron Constantin, both are the same price, the same quality level, a simila... 

is bad publicity . As long as the messaging is out there, even subliminally, it is bound to have at least a minor impact overall....

...for tech companies for decades, so I am familiar with the process. But believe me when I say I am relatively immune to normal marketing techniques. I know the tricks : )

I listen to 80 ties music. A bit Daftpunk, Bowie. Kraftwerk, Motörhead, Laibach, Bach, and Paolo Conte. The question, should watches be for watch savants? I have the opinion that the more people wear mechanical watches, the better. So i am glad as also hi... 

Yes, as high horology becomes more mainstream, it means that these brands are more likely to survive! And that's definitely a positive!

While I think I should sit out and just be an observer here, let me only briefly mention that one of the things that always *hugely* attracted me to the brand is Patek's lack of (official!) ambassadors. This has been a deliberate choice consistent with ma... 

I don't find Omegas desirable because George, perpetually handsome, Clooney happens to be their 'poster-boy' xD.... or Nespresso hahahaha

Always consider the source... Can s/he be an expert witness? I always ask myself, is George Clooney qualified to make a statement about watches? Probably not. Brosnan is more of a watch collector (among movie stars) than most and apparently he knows somet... 

dependability of the VW Group.... And yes, my favorite RMs are mostly the ones he designed for Nadal, but my love for those pieces has nothing to do with Nadal, as good of a tennis player as he is . Great points, Filip

I was already a big fan of the Lamborghini Huracan. And after hearing such high praise from an instructor who drove all of the makes on a regular basis, I was very convinced. And when I think of sporty cars, I'm thinking of the Huracan!

Lambos are the most reliable supercars, and some of the most daring and original designs. It's just that my tastes have always been more 'mature' in terms of what I felt comfortable with in public, and there's no argument that when you show-up anywhere in... 

However, my fondness of the Lamborghini Huracan is entirely based on one thing, it's an amazing car, has everything I value in a sports car, and is very emotional with the way it drives. The steering isn't the best - could have more feel, the suspension i... 

I have seen a decent number of them in recent times in West L.A. Some of them even being street parked due to their rather compact size. It's a great proposition, no question! Thanks for the engaging conversation, cheers, Filip

I hesitated posting this, as I felt it showed a potential bias of mine and that it was borderline anti-rap music, which is not an image I want to portray (anyone can listen to whatever kind of music they want as long as it's not too loud, in a public plac... 

"Pride" driven over demand worsen availability and fuel grey market situation.

Just like Gelato is toxic for my waistline!

I'd say I'm not influenced by anybody... But I have to admit, sometimes members tell me to consider something, and I actually go look at it in the store, and I realize some watches that I never would have considered do have their merits!

She insisted that she wasn't influenced whatsoever by any form of marketing. Her husband and I continued to show how she was slightly influenced and how Facebook and Google really GET YOU! She's not on Facebook, but even Google ad words get her! The best ... 

I still remember your post about Away luggage ;-)

The luggage hasn't seen the normal use due to COVID! But still like it! It's not any worse than my Rimowa! And it's 1/8th the price.

That's just his kind of behavior I guess. I'd speculate that he got it while being drunk or on some other worse behavior, but that'd be just pure speculation.

The question: will going mainstream reduce desirability in the long run? I think there are pros and cons. Without giving it too much thought, I’ll like to rattle off on my humble 2 cents. The pros: 1. Becoming mainstream means more market awareness, and i... 

Although while I personally don't like it, I definitely realize that millions of people do and it's a very large genre. Rap isn't likely the favored medium on WatchProSite, a more genteel audience than probably the average and median rap-music-aficionado.... 

star when it comes to raising interesting questions. For me it is important that when I spend my money on something I really appreciate I dont like to see it frequently with others. For example if I go to a wedding reception I dont want to see the same ca... 

because nobody has it it makes it a very lonely experience additionaly you get zero recognition because nobody knows what you are wearing so perhaps there has to be a balance between wearing a watch that is exclusive but some people know about 😁

and I agree that with your way of reasoning it is likely that you would get more recongnition. However my experience is that if you come with a watch (or a car) that is seldom seen "live" but only in magazines you will get recogniton as well and that will... 

Thank you for your kind words... I try to come up with interesting topics. Forgive me when I come up with a boring one - it happens every now and then! You're definitely right about people wearing the same thing! I call it the "uniform." I was at a car ev... 

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That was definitely not a good day for Mr. Sheen!

But Patek is not and cannot be mainstream… with 60K watches a year, this is a very small number compared to who wants a Patek… Ferrari has the same position… a lot of popularity but limited access… I think this is good for the brand… However, the biggest ... 

Ferrari is definitely a mainstream brand. My father who is not a car person whatsoever, has heard of it, can recognize it, and probably even knows the horse logo. Lamborghini would probably be considered less mainstream since less people know what it is. ... 

For me, I cannot remember when and how I learned about Patek many years ago. This brand has always meant tops for me even way before I could afford a piece. As long as Patek continues not using paid Ambassadors, I continue to be loyal to Patek. If rappers... 

This fountain pen collector in Singapore had a Jaeger-LeCoultre, a brand that I was aspiring to own a Reverso piece, so he had my attention. And he introduced me to the Patek Philippe Calatrava 5000. Just from his photos, I immediately identified that the... 

to be loyal to the Patek brand and wearing my Patek watches.

Here in San Francisco, you read about lots of security problems. Sometimes it's violent and people are injured. Hopefully the nice accessories can come out again soon.

enjoy your watches whenever you can !

I would have no idea who this guy was but assumed athlete, actor or other entertainer. Just some observations from looking at the picture: 1, Obviously flexing/showing off his Patek in the most non subtle way. 2, Wearing sunglasses in a dark room. 3, Guy ... 

Nor do I aspire to have a cigarette burn on my hand! But that's the crowd of people who want to wear Patek Philippes nowadays!

H knows about watches but he knows very little about how to treat a cut or burn. Some ointment and a bandage causes cuts and burns t miraculously heal. Uncovered no so much. As far as the watches being worn by new money athletes and entertainers goes, thi... 

I used to actively avoid brands that were in vogue by rap musicians. When I heard that the rap musicians were conquering Burberry, I was thinking I might have to stop patronizing Burberry or else I'd look like a follower of pop culture influence. The prob... 

enjoying the quality AND the anonymity of their little wrist gems! -Dean

have already been written here that my answer seems almost too … simple. 1. Patek makes some fantastic watches (and some almost out of this world). 2. Patek nowadays (not in the past!) fuels the hype itself and flirts with greed and new wealth (keywords: ... 

Patek Philippe is definitely happy about all the auction results. It's free marketing to them! Thierry Stern is probably thinking... "I sold that Nautilus to the dealer for 20,000 Francs, the dealer sold it to the customer for 35,000 Francs, and the custo...