Watch Brand Complete Comparison: Rolex vs. Patek Philippe

One of the significant dilemmas individuals could face regarding their fashion is the watch they wear on their wrist.

It means that sometimes we will be confused about choosing between several watches in the market to go with our taste, style, and budget.

As you may know, the world’s three most known and favorite brands are:

1. Rolex
2. Omega
3. Patek Philippe

These three Swiss brands are the owners of the wristwatch market, and they are in tight competition. This close call will make our decision-making even harder.

However, with the comparisons we conduct in these articles, you will be enlightened to make the right call.

In some of our previous articles, we sorted the dilemma by making competition between the Rolex and Omega. Still, in this article, we will be tending to the third brand that is nearly catching up to the second place in a world record.

The Rolex vs. Patek Philippe comparison.

Now we are just as curious as you to see which one of the watches we mentioned is better, Rolex or Patek Philippe?

Let’s get started with the race and see who wins.

Brand History: Rolex & Patek Philippe

First of all, let’s get to know the brands better.

We will be starting with the number one watch manufacturer on the list, The Rolex.

Rolex

In 1905, a 24 years old youth dreamed of putting timepieces on the wrists, so he started a company and specialized in making wristwatches.

As time passed, their calibers and the quality of the watches that this company made increased, and finally, a couple of years later, this company was named the Rolex.

It is interesting that Rolex almost has an ambassador in every country possible.

Over time Rolex grew as a brand, and today it has been the number one Swiss watch manufacturer for years. No other brand could take the crown from this brand.

For almost 113 years, Rolex impressed many clients, and even some of the models had an outrageous retail prices just because of a famous person or a celebrity owned them.

One of the first watches that Rolex made was the Classic Oyster in 1961, which remains one of the magnificent signatures of this company; the oyster line is still on in this company. Still, the design and materials change every year.

Now that you have a general idea about the history of Rolex let’s get to its competitor, the Patek Philippe.

Patek Philippe

While Rolex is the top watch brand globally, the Patek Philippe is one of the oldest.

In 1839, two friends who were not originally from Switzerland started a company manufacturing pocket watches; however, after several years, they started developing the pocket watch calibers and making them into the wristwatch calibers that we know.

This company is so confident in their watch quality that they have a slogan:

“You never actually own a Patek Philippe wristwatch; you preserve it for the next generation.”

This means that these watches are so durable that they will withstand generations.

It has been almost 183 years that this company manufactures calibers, and when it comes to the retail price, we can say that the number we have found will leave you shocked.

Keep reading to find out the highest watch price sold in an auction.

This brand’s most comprehensive and oldest collection is the “Grand Complications” collection, which focuses on a combination of moon phase and sun phase with the complexity of the watch caliber.

As you can see from the history of both brands, Rolex and Patek Philippe both have a rich history.

They have been working hard to get to the place they are today.

Now that we know all about the brand histories let’s get to the detailed comparisons of Rolex and Patek Philippe, such as price, retail market Durability, and design.

Detailed comparison: Rolex vs. Patek Philippe

As we said in this part of the article, we will be tending to the details in the Rolex and Patek Philippe comparison.

Without any hesitation, let’s get started.

The Rolex (Price, Retail market, Durability, and design)

When talking about the price of a wristwatch, you would think that Rolex has the most expensive timepieces in its entire history; however, the information in this section will leave you in shock.

It is correct; most of the watches in the Rolex collection are expensive, yet they have a proper excuse for this pricing, and that is design and quality.

Most of the materials this company uses in their products are exclusive and high-end. Therefore you have to expect a high price when looking for a Rolex watch.

But when it comes to designing Rolex worth every dollar that it receives, the simplicity and elegance are immaculate.

The price range for Rolex timepieces starts at $6,500, and it can go up to $100,000.

But the retail market makes this competition excited; in an auction in 2013, a Rolex, which the Paul Newman wore, was sold for 17.8 million dollars!!!

So, it is only fair to say that the retail market of the Rolex brand is quite active.

Now let’s go to the Rolex’s opponent, the Patek Philippe.

The Patek Philippe (Price, Retail market, Durability, and design)

When we pass the Patek Philippe, the prices go way upper than we ever expected; some even call the Patek the “Rolls Royce or Swiss watches,” this reputation doesn’t only come from the heavy pricing. It also comes from prestige.

Patek’s design and materials in their timepieces are by far the most durable in the market, and the designs are unique in their place.

And when it comes to the price range, the Patek Philippe watches start at $$45,000, and they go up to $500,000, which is way more than Rolex prices.

And the last piece of information that will shock you to your bones is that one of the Patek models, the Grandmaster Chime with a specific serial number, was sold in an auction in 2019 for $31,000,000.

Yes, it was sold for 31 million dollars in total.

It is fair to say if you are worried about the retail market of the Patek Philippe, you should not. These watches can be retailed very quickly.

Now that you know almost every important detail about the Rolex vs. Patek Philippe comparison, it is time to conclude and choose which one of these brands is better to invest in.

 In the end

In this article, we talked about some of the critical points of Rolex and Patek Philippe to decide which one of these brands is the best yet.

And then, we tended to a detailed comparison of Rolex and Patek Philippe brands.

In conclusion, we would say that both of these brands are worthy of their place in the world that they are in right now. And if you are looking for a fancy watch for yourself or your loved ones, you have to consider these brands.

However, you have to consider the use that you will be getting from these watches; that is the fact that will make your decision-making easier.

If you have any additional content to add to the “Brand Complete Comparison: Rolex vs. Patek Philippe” article, or you have a question regarding this statement, we would love to share our knowledge with you.

You can contact us via the contact methods at the end of this article.

FAQ

Is Rolex better than Patek Philippe?

• We cannot say which one of these brands is the best, but you can decide by reading this comparison.

Is Patek Philippe older than Rolex?

• Indeed, yes. While Rolex started its activity in 1905, the Patek started making timepieces in 1839. You can read the whole story of both brands in this article.

Are Rolex and Patek expensive brands?

• Yes, considering the quality, history, and design of the wristwatches that these companies make, it is only rational to have a higher price.