The world of horology is competitive to the core, and over the years, several watchmakers have made an eternal mark in the luxury statement. A few of them share bittersweet rivalries, and the Audemars Piguet vs Patek Philippe debate is a long-standing one.
Two of the oldest watchmakers in history, Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe join Vacheron Constantin to form the ‘holy trinity’ in the world of horology. Both brands command immense respect among watch aficionados and enjoy a wide customer base.
In 1875, Jules Louis Audemars and Edward Auguste Piguet founded a watch company in Switzerland’s Vallée de Joux. The company acquired the name Audemars Piguet & Cie in 1881 and has been a family-owned enterprise since its inception.
Before founding this company, Audemars crafted complex watch movements for other manufacturers, while Piguet specialised in the regulation of watch movements. The company rose to prominence in 1892 for creating the world’s first minute repeater. With time, Audemars Piguet became famous for its innovative designs.
Polish businessman Antony Patek and Franciszek Czapek, a Czech watchmaker, set up a watch manufacturing company in 1839 in the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. However, it was the arrival of Jean-Adrien Philippe in 1845 that enabled the company to surmount new heights. Philippe’s expertise in watchmaking and his timeless innovation of the keyless winding system revolutionised the world of horology forever.
The company came to be known as Patek, Philippe & Cie in 1851. Over the years, the watchmaker has continuously pushed the boundaries of watchmaking. Its watches are a blend of technical innovations and elegant designs. In 1925, the watchmaker introduced the world to its first wristwatch with a perpetual calendar.
With such rich legacies spanning well over a century, both watchmakers have rightfully claimed their place in the echelon of greats. So join us as we try to settle the Audemars Piguet vs Patek Philippe argument by looking at their design, build quality, durability, mechanical movements and price.
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Audemars Piguet vs Patek Philippe: Settling the debate
Design
Let us start this Audemars Piguet vs Patek Philippe battle by looking at their designs. The former is known for its sporty and bold designs. As a matter of fact, Audemars Piguet holds the record for being the first brand to develop a skeleton watch in 1934. In addition, the watchmaker also crafted some of the thinnest watches in the world, a fine example of which is the ultra-thin automatic tourbillion watch (Calibre 2870) made in 1986. From rubber and leather straps to bracelets made of steel and precious metals, Audemars Piguet offers a myriad of choices to suit the needs of its users.
On the other hand, Patek Philippe is more conservative on the design front. Most of their timepieces fashion a classic look and are fantastic as dress watches. This has worked in the watchmaker’s favour, for many luxury watch users lean towards Patek Philippe’s models because of the timeless designs.
Build quality and durability
Being two of the premier luxury watchmakers in history, it comes as little surprise that both Audemars Piguet and Patek Philippe have weathered the test of time in terms of durability. Both brands uphold exceptional standards of craftsmanship and use nothing but high-quality materials.
Much akin to most top-tier luxury watchmakers, both brands use elements such as sapphire crystals, gold, diamond and high-grade stainless steel, among others. Therefore, this is arguably the most difficult criterion of assessment in this Audemars Piguet vs Patek Philippe debate, for there is nothing to separate the two when it comes to the build quality and durability.
Mechanical movements
This is where the Audemars Piguet vs Patek Philippe match gets interesting. However, before we delve deep into the comparison, it is worth mentioning that both brands are held in high esteem in terms of their movements, so the margins of differentiation will be extremely fine.
The automatic movement on a host of iconic Audemars Piguet watches, such as the Royal Oak’s 50-year-old calibre 2121, offers a power reserve of 60 hours. In addition, it gives a few hacking seconds.
For the unversed, hacking seconds is a simple yet useful feature to stop the seconds hand movement of a watch when you pull out the crown to adjust the time. Horologists consider it to offer an extra layer of precision in timekeeping.
On the other hand, the movements of a Patek Philippe sports watch fares fine. The power backup offered by its signature 324C calibre in the uncomplicated variations of the Nautilus is 45 hours, and it lacks the hacking seconds feature. Therefore, Audemars Piguet gains superiority over its counterpart in this aspect.
Price
At last, the Audemars Piguet vs Patek Philippe comparison boils down to the amount you need to shell out for these timepieces. In comparison to mid-range luxury watchmakers, both brands offer higher prices for their products, given their fame and reputation.
An entry-level Audemars Piguet timepiece, like the Royal Oak quartz, comes for an estimated USD 17,000. On the other hand, the cheapest Patek Philippe watch will cost you around USD 24,000, such as the Aquanut Ref. 5167A.
Both watchmakers have great command in the market, and as such, their timepieces have very high resale value in comparison to watches by other luxury brands. That being said, a few Audemars Piguet watches have better resale value than the Patek Philippe ones.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak vs Patek Philippe Nautilus: Which lineup is better?
Arguably two of the most popular and desirable watch lineups in the market, a comparison piece between the two watchmakers is incomplete without addressing the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak vs Patek Philippe Nautilus debate. Both watches were designed by Swiss clockmaker and artist Gérald Genta and were the products of the ‘Quartz Crisis’ that surfaced in 1969 with the introduction of the quartz movement by Seiko’s Astron.
The Audemars Piguet Royal Oak series had a maximum case size of 41 millimetres in its Reference 15500 model. The timepieces under this lineage are typically made of yellow gold, white gold, frosted white gold, rose gold, steel, platinum, titanium and ceramic. They offer water resistance up to 50 metres, and the base model starts from around USD 17,000.
In comparison, the Patek Philippe Nautilus lineup offers a maximum case size of 42 millimetres in its Reference 3700 model. The watches are typically made of rose gold, white gold and high-grade stainless steel. Their water-resistance ranges from 60 to 120 metres, and the base model comes for around USD 32,000.
Audemars Piguet vs Patek Philippe: Our verdict
The barest of margins separate the two watchmakers when it comes to their craftsmanship, but owing to its comparatively better mechanical movements, Audemars Piguet has a slight edge over Patek Philippe. Coupled with a relatively competitive price tag, most luxury watch aficionados will see the former as the winner of the Audemars Piguet vs Patek Philippe battle.
Having said that, both brands boast some exquisite timepieces, and they tick most boxes of a good luxury watch. Therefore, the decision to choose between the two rests entirely on the user’s preferences, and if you have brand loyalty among these two, go for the one which suits you best.
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(Main Image Credits: Courtesy Audemars Piguet/Instagram and Patek Philippe; Featured Image Credits: Courtesy Audemars Piguet/Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– What is the difference between an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and a Patek Philippe Nautilus?
An Audemars Piguet Royal Oak has water resistance up to 50 metres, and the base model starts from around USD 17,000. On the other hand, a Patek Philippe Nautilus has water resistance ranging between 60 and 120 metres, and the base model comes for around USD 32,000.
– Which is more expensive: Audemars Piguet or Patek Philippe?
In general, Patek Philippe timepieces are more expensive than their Audemars Piguet counterparts.
