In the contemporary world of Haute Horlogerie, you can find a lot of legendary luxury watch brands with a variety of advantages and amazing achievements that produce classic high-end watches and exotic timepieces. However, Rolex and Patek Philippe are two of the most recognizable names that can claim the title of the best watchmaking company ever existing. In fact, there is no other brand that can be compared with them. It may sound a little bit strange considering unlimited financial, ideological, and technical resources of some well-known manufacturers, but still no one has managed to reach their heights. So what is their secret? The most interesting fact is that these two legendary luxury watch brands have very little in common, or even probably nothing. Surely, we could try to compare Calatrava fine watches with Cellini, Gondolo with Prince, Aquanaut and Nautilus with numerous variations of Oyster models, but it would be a very unclear comparison. They are different in all possible aspects. Howbeit, both of them are at the top. Perhaps the reason is in the history of development and establishment… let’s see.

Antoni Patek guessed to involve a talented watchmaker and, in his turn, was engaged in marketing traveling around all over the world and offering their high-end luxury watches for men and women to the most influential people, including Queen Victoria. The fact that branded timepieces were demonstrated by the elite was undoubtedly a very attractive and right decision. Add to this innovations, patents, and fabulous mechanisms, such as Packard and Graves super complicated designer watches, and you will probably get a recipe for success. Rolex, being a little more than half a century younger than Patek Philippe, went a completely different way, though eventually it won the same rich and powerful clientele. From the very beginning, Rolex positioned itself as a “Royal law” (‘Ro’ is consonant with the Royal and ‘Lex’ means the law). Then there were Oyster and Mercedes Gleitze, self-winding movements, Everest, and the Mariana Trench – everything was very convincing! Nevertheless, Rolex creations have not become just sports high-end luxury watches for men and women, they are still exquisite timepieces for the wealthy elite. Moreover, the company is keeping the democratic price for its basic models.

Thus, we get two luxury watch brands with their timely, technically successful achievements that have made their names in the severe world of Haute Horlogerie in different ways. However, now we can see a general tendency for both companies – a certain closeness to the highest aristocracy and Royal families, and brands’ logos are a clear confirmation of this. Patek has its famous cross, the symbol of the Order of Calatrava, which clever marketing specialists managed to get soon after the formal dissolution of the Order. And Rolex has a royal brand name and certainly its constant crown. For today, this mysterious cross and a gold crown are objects of desire for millions of people all over the world. Which of them is the best? It is a matter of taste and personal preferences. Anyway, it does not interfere us from appreciating and loving these two luxury watch brands equally.