Collector insight Patek: Collecting strategies
Fine WatchesCollector's InsightCollecting & InvestingI will be honest with you. I have been struggling with the following question for a long time:
How should I go about collecting Patek Philippe wristwatches?
The point is although I own a few of their modern watches, I do not own any vintage pieces yet. It is kind of crazy I admit that.
It is my absolute intention to change this. My reason for not purchasing a single vintage Patek watch had not to do with resources but rather strategy: I simply did not know where to begin.
Do I concentrate on white metals only? Do I buy gold or rose gold too? Or what about collecting only Patek steel watches? If the metals to choose from are not confusing enough – what about the models? Do I start with collecting time only models or do I go for the complicated models like a perpetual calendar or chronograph?
And from which time period do I start? With the 1920s and 1930’s where Patek made some killer rectangular watches (think Gondolo) or do I go for the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s – for the golden period of Patek production – but also the most expensive to collect? It was my inability to answer these questions that have put me in the situation I am in today and why I have not yet started to collect any vintage Patek so far.
But I seemed to have found an answer. Let me share it with you.
I was leafing through the book of collecting Patek Philippe wristwatches by Patrizzi (the three volume edition) where pretty much every single Patek Philippe ever made is illustrated. I spent hours and days going through this book and realized two things: 1) Patek Philippe steel, white gold or platinum watches are just extremely rare compared to gold. This is good. I like rarity. 2) Some of my favourite models in the world just look better in white metal.
I am talking about the 3448 – main picture above (for an in-depth on the 3448 see post here), the 2552 in platinum (another one of my dream watches) not to mention the 2526 (it is my dream to find either a platinum or white gold version with diamonds and silvered dial, or a platinum version with enamel dial). The 130 is another dream watch of mine and I also think this model looks better in steel than in gold.
So after years of reflection I finally have a strategy in place.
With a few exceptions (like the 1518 which I find a dream in pink gold or a 530 in any metal) I will concentrate on finding Patek in only white metals. Steel, white gold and platinum. I will for the most part avoid buying any gold Patek wristwatches (with the odd exception of course). As from which time period, I think I will just be open and take the opportunities as they come.
Concentrating on only white metal Patek, makes sense also because I already own a few gold Rolex watches and I believe many Rolex models look superb in gold. There is something about Rolex and the gold metal that will always be fascinating and powerful. Not so with Patek Philippe.
The noblest of watchmakers on balance looks better in the white metal. This is the conclusion I have made for myself. Let me show you a few pictures to illustrate what I mean.
One of the most elegant watches ever made from Patek is the 3448. It looks sophisticated in white gold. This is my preferred choice for the 3448.
The Ref 130 is also a model that I think just looks best in steel and is more attractive than gold or pink gold. This was another killer watch I let go by. Do you notice the stamp on the upper left lug?
No it is not a precious metal stamp but rather the stamp indicates a Portuguese Importation mark. This watch sold at Christies this May 2016 for CHF 209’000.
Would you like to see a 130 but sector dial? Looks also splendid in steel.
I also prefer the mighty Ref 530 in steel than in precious metals. Agreed? This Astrua signed sector dial fetched CHF 1.2m in Geneva earlier this year.
Next is a hyper rare 570 in Platinum with a sub seconds – a combination (which if originally issued) is very very rare.
Let us move to another very cool reference 565 in steel, this time with Breguet numerals. This watch looks superb in steel.
We finish with another all time favourite reference of mine from Patek – the simple (but extremely well designed) ref 96.
Ref 96 is the quintessential Patek in my view – the first Calatrava model of Patek. Below an example with ‘flat bar’ indexes – for me the most attractive version of the ref 96. This ref 96 is an early version from 1937 and notice the long signature on the watch.
For those interested in the psychology of collecting please see are post here. If you want to know what type of watch collector you could be please see our post here.
