Patek Philippe vs Blancpain Comparison

Comprehensive comparative analysis of Patek Philippe and Blancpain models: Case finishes, movement precision, dial details and production tolerances are examined in detail with Saat Detective expertise standards.

Patek Philippe VS Blancpain: Comparison and Review

Today, we will compare Blancpain VS Patek Philippe from many different aspects to determine which one is a better choice for you if you are considering buying one of these brands. These points of comparison include:

Watch art - Brand prestige - Brand history - Quality and workmanship - Warranty - Resale value

Brand History

Both Patek Philippe and Blancpain are well-established brands and have been in this industry for over a century. Blancpain was founded in 1735 by Jehan-Jacques Blancpain in Villeret, Switzerland. Today it is headquartered in Le Brassus, in the Le Chenit region of Switzerland. Blancpain is now under the umbrella of an international conglomerate called Swatch Group, which also owns many other watch brands. Blancpain is also technically the oldest of all still operating Swiss watchmakers, and we've written plenty about their decent watches. However, due to some legal reasons, this manufacturer did not operate under the Blancpain brand for a long time uninterrupted. (For this reason, Vacheron Constantin is considered to be the oldest Swiss watch brand that has been operating under the same brand name since its foundation.) Patek Philippe, on the other hand, is a brand that is about a century younger; It was founded in Geneva, Switzerland, and its headquarters is still in Geneva today. Patek remains an independent company and has been owned by the Stern family since the 1930s.

Clock Art

Who makes more complicated watches: Blancpain or Patek Philippe?

Both Patek and Blancpain are brands that can produce high-horology watches. These highly complicated watches have numerous mechanical features that go beyond just showing the time.

Blancpain is acclaimed for designing and producing a very remarkable high complication caliber known as the Blancpain 1735 (seen here).

This mechanic is great; It included a Perpetual Calendar, Minute Repeater, Split Chronograph and a Tourbillon. Needless to say, this is a tremendous achievement for any watch manufacturer.

Blancpain is also credited with producing the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms, one of the most famous diving watches worn by Jacques Cousteau in the movie "Le Monde du Silence". Fifty Fathoms was also the first dive watch to feature a rotating bezel to help dive professionals measure dive times.

Patek is one of the most respected luxury haute horlogerie brands in existence; He was praised for his extraordinarily complicated Henry Graves Supercomplication watch. This was a pocket watch with an incredible 24 different mechanical complications. The product of this mechanical genius was sold at auction for over XXX. That is a figure exceeding XXX per complication. The highly decorated Grandmaster Chime (seen here) is another Supercomplication watch. This special model is a double-faced wristwatch and has 20 different complications. With a thickness of 16.1 mm and a diameter of 47.7 mm, it is a rather large watch that is definitely not for light wrists.

Brand Prestige

Both Blancpain and Patek Philippe are considered prestigious brands, but Patek is a notch above Blancpain here. Patek is one third of the "Holy Trinity" of watchmaking; This is a group of three highly prestigious brands that form the top tier of the industry, including Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet, also affectionately known as AP watches.

Thanks to very creative and highly effective advertising and marketing, Patek Philippe has established its brand as one of the most recognized names in the world; There are only two other Swiss luxury watch manufacturers in the same league in terms of brand recall: Rolex and Omega. However, when it comes to brand prestige, Rolex and Omega cannot beat Patek. In fact, Blancpain can't pour either.

Quality and Workmanship

Patek's watches are crafted to perfection and they now give a 'double P' emblem or badge, known as the Patek quality seal, specifically to their watches that meet very stringent standards in watchmaking for workmanship and construction. Its standards are now even higher than the prestigious Poinçon de Genève, or Geneva seal, which its watches bore for 123 years until the new Patek seal was created in 2009.

Is Blancpain a good brand to buy? Blancpain produces wonderful watches and their craftsmanship is superior to that of many other Swiss luxury watch manufacturers. However, when compared to Patek Philippe watches, there is no comparison at all. There's a reason why Patek is considered the best by most watch enthusiasts and luxury watch connoisseurs around the world. Part of this comes from the fact that they have gained their prestige with the most limited edition watches, such as those that have earned the title of the world's most complicated watch.

In fact, the only watchmaker that Patek Philippe could see as a direct competitor is not even a Swiss manufacturer; A German manufacturer from the Saxon region of Glashütte, known as A. Lange & Söhne. Not everyone in the industry is even on Patek's radar.

Warranty

Patek Philippe and Blancpain both offer the same two-year warranty. Other manufacturers, such as Rolex and Omega, offer extended warranties of up to five years depending on the watch, and the irony is that most of them are sold at a lower entry-level price.

Some manufacturers offer up to eight years on their warranties when you register online; just like the watch brands under the Richemont Group umbrella (IWC, JLC, Panerai, A. Lange & Söhne, Vacheron Constantin and more). However, Blancpain and Patek Philippe have not yet followed their lead and are only offering two years for now.

Second Hand Value

Which preserves its value better: Patek Philippe or Blancpain? One of the things that people often consider when buying an expensive watch such as Blancpain or Patek Philippe is its second-hand value. Most people don't consider selling the item they're about to buy unless it's a car or a house. However, there are many people asking which of these two brands has a better resale value, so we might as well address that question as well.

Patek Philippe is actually one of the brands that has an above-average resale value. Rolex is another brand that is very good at retaining a higher percentage of its original value when resold on the second-hand market.

Of course, resale value depends on many factors; You can read many of them in detail by clicking here.

Do Blancpain watches retain their value? Is Blancpain better than Rolex when it comes to the second-hand market and resale value? On average, you'll get back a larger portion of your original "investment" with a Rolex or Patek. A good example is the stainless steel model of the Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, which sells above retail price. I put "Investment" in quotes because every watch (with very few exceptions) loses some of its original value once you wear it. Therefore, this is not an effective way to ensure that your money grows in value as it would with other financial securities products.

Patek Philippe Blancpain

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