IWC VS Patek Philippe watches | Which is Better?

Comprehensive comparative analysis of IWC and Patek Philippe Watches Which is Better models: Case finishes, movement precision, dial details and production tolerances are examined in detail with Saat Dedektifi expertise standards.

IWC VS Patek Philippe Comparison and Review

You are considering buying an IWC or Patek Philippe watch, but which one is more suitable for you? You probably have all kinds of questions about Patek Philippe and IWC watches and how they compare to each other. Let's take a look at these two well-known Swiss luxury watch brands and see how they stack up against each other from various perspectives. You can use the links below to jump to each section.

Price - Brand Awareness - Second Hand Value - Watchmaking - Water Resistance - Workmanship - Warranty

About IWC and Patek Philippe

Both Patek Philippe and IWC are brands that have been around for more than a century. Patek Philippe has been producing watches since 1839, and IWC has been engaged in watchmaking since 1868.

Patek Philippe is located in Geneva, Switzerland. One of the last remaining independent luxury watch manufacturers, the brand has been owned by the Stern family for almost a century.

IWC is located in Schaffhausen, Switzerland and has been a subsidiary under the Richemont Group since the beginning of the new millennium.

Prices

When it comes to the price of an entry-level watch, there is a huge difference between these two brands.

IWC watches start at around XXX at full retail price on a 36mm Pilot's watch or the larger 40mm Pilot's Mark XVII. High-end IWC watches such as the IWC Da Vinci Tourbillon Retrograde Chronograph can sell for more than XXX, while IWC Portuguese Grand Complications can be sold for XXX.

Patek Philippe watches start at around XXX on a women's watch and around XXX on a men's watch like the Calatrava. This is for a more affordable model. Now let's talk about the upper segment models... Let's start with the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime (reference number 6300A), which is currently the most expensive watch in the world. This watch was sold at an auction over XXX. I think you understand why I said Bigdifference and why I used a capital 'B'.

IWC Watches Patek Philippe

Brand Awareness

Another area where Patek Philippe excels is brand awareness. According to a recent report from brand valuation firm Interbrand, Patek Philippe comes in as the 3rd most recognized Swiss watch brand in the world, behind Rolex and Omega, both lower-market luxury watch brands.

IWC is the 10th most well-known Swiss luxury watch brand in the world, and yet it is appreciated as an elite watch brand by many watch collectors around the world.

Waterproof

IWC has an excellent reputation for its diving watches and waterproof Aquatimer series. As a matter of fact, the Aquatimer Automatic 2000 46 mm reference number iw358002 has a water resistance rating of 2,000m/6,000ft, which almost submerges Patek Philippe diving watches in terms of water resistance.

Why doesn't a brand like Patek Philippe produce a dive watch that can compete with watches like the Aquatimer 2000 (2,000m/6,000ft), the Rolex Deepsea Sea-Dweller (3,900m/12,800ft) or even the Omega Planet Ocean (600m/2,000ft)?

My guess is that Patek Philippe does not want to present its brand as a brand that produces tool watches; because this weakens the brand value. If you're on top like them, you don't really need that kind of attention... and who would consider taking a Patek on a diving expedition anyway?

Workmanship

Both Patek Philippe and IWC have amazing workmanship. However, Patek is one step superior and there is the Geneva Seal that proves it. You will especially notice this in the impeccable workmanship of the mechanisms and the hand engravings.

Watchmaking

Both IWC and Patek Philippe produce mechanically impressive watches. Watches with high complications such as minute repeater, tourbillon, perpetual calendar are often the crown jewel of a serious collection.

While both brands produce high-complication watches, Patek Philippe is known to cram so many complications into a single watch that it has earned the coveted title of “The World's Most Complicated Watch” more than once. The Henry Graves Supercomplication pocket watch with 24 complications and the Patek Philippe Caliber 89 with 33 complications are examples of this.

Second Hand Value

When it comes time to dispose of a valuable watch, there are two brands that truly maintain above-average resale value. These are Rolex and Patek Philippe. IWC, on the other hand, is at a relatively average level when it comes to maintaining its value in the second-hand market.

Of course, this is not a rule that can be applied equally to every situation; It depends on many variables such as the model of the watch, the documents it comes with, whether it is still under manufacturer's warranty, and its condition.

This above-average resale value may have a lot to do with marketing and the way Patek Philippe positions its brand; As their iconic slogan goes: "You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You just entrust it to the next generation."

Warranty

As of November 19, 2019,IWC announced that it will increase the warranty period from 2 years to 8 years when you register IWC's international limited warranty online in the MY IWC program. In addition, they consider this extended warranty period valid for every watch purchased in the last two years.

Patek Philippe, on the other hand, only has a two-year warranty, and when you send your watch for service, you get an additional two-year service warranty.

Summary

If money was no object and waterproofing is not that important to you, Patek Philippe is often the ideal choice for the numerous reasons mentioned above. Of course, there are also many IWC watches that are more expensive than some Patek Philippe watches. There are also many IWC watches that are extremely popular among watch collectors, such as the IWC Pilot's watches.

Patek Philippe watches are often the highlight of a watch collection and are often used as family heirlooms. There are also dazzling watches among IWC watches, and these are also considered valuable. IWC is an extremely well-known brand in the watch industry, but not to the same degree as Patek.

Patek Philippe is one-third of the Holy Trinity of three top brands and is arguably the best of the three. They are both excellent brands and the ideal is to choose a watch based on the features it offers you. However, people tend to buy watches for different reasons. First, determine what your motivation is for buying a luxury watch, then choose a brand that meets your goals and has the features you are looking for.

IWC Watches Patek Philippe