What are your Holy Trinity Watch companies?

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Patsfan1001

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In case your not aware there are three high-end Swiss Companies that make up something
called the Holy Trinity which are the following brands Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin.
Of course, most of these brands make watches that are out of a lot of peoples price ranges to give you an idea
Patek's Basic model the Calatrava starts at $20K with no complication maybe a date if you're lucky for as much as a
new Honda Civic. The AP Royal Oak in steel can be had for $17/18k and a VC Overseas for around $16k in steel. The Patek
is in gold compare that to their nautilus model in steel for $35k for a standard three hand add complications and we're talking
$55k+. But what if you could come up with your own Holy Trinity of watches that were more affordable?
What brands would they be? Well here are mine lets see yours.

1) Seiko/GS for their Spring Drive, High Beat, and Divers watch's.

2) Citizen for their Eco-Drive solar technology and not to mention their Campanola and Signature
collection of watches no other company can make Grand Complication models for under $5k be it quartz
but still, put a Swiss or German name on them and we're pushing 6 figures.

3) Hamilton great Swiss Made watches with a huge pedigree and history of watchmaking dating back to the
19th century and you can easily find a Swiss Auto for under $500? Very few Swiss companies can offer that
with the history they have.
 
Well the holy trinity of divers is the Submariner, the seamaster and the fifty fathoms. But Rolex wouldn't make my big 3, neither would AP or VC be in my top 3 brands... the designs as nice as they are just don't do it for me. Also, the notion of a holy trinity of brands being those doesn't really jive with me.... snooty for snooty's sake. It's one thing to say these are the classics of a certain style so they make up the trinity but to say only these 3 brands make up some dream brands when there are so many full brands out there that are just as nicely made.... but I digress.

that wasn't pointed at your question btw, just my ire with notion some watch snobs have about this stuff.

Anywho... my top three brands...
Breitling for sure.
Blancpain
and I guess Omega

on the affordable end...

Hamilton for sure
Oris, yes Oris!
and Invicta.... yeah I still really like their original designs.

I do like H2O a lot, but I don't think there are enough models to bring into the top 3.
 
Well the holy trinity of divers is the Submariner, the seamaster and the fifty fathoms. But Rolex wouldn't make my big 3, neither would AP or VC be in my top 3 brands... the designs as nice as they are just don't do it for me. Also, the notion of a holy trinity of brands being those doesn't really jive with me.... snooty for snooty's sake. It's one thing to say these are the classics of a certain style so they make up the trinity but to say only these 3 brands make up some dream brands when there are so many full brands out there that are just as nicely made.... but I digress.

that wasn't pointed at your question btw, just my ire with notion some watch snobs have about this stuff.

Anywho... my top three brands...
Breitling for sure.
Blancpain
and I guess Omega

on the affordable end...

Hamilton for sure
Oris, yes Oris!
and Invicta.... yeah I still really like their original designs.

I do like H2O a lot, but I don't think there are enough models to bring into the top 3.

I would rather wear a Blancpain Fifty Fathoms then a Rolex Sub only because for 10 Subs you see
you only 1 or 2 FF. And I agree with older Invicta styles.
 
My HTs would be Rolex, Omega and Tudor, which are still considerably less expensive than the generally accepted Holy Trinity brands. Personally, Id really like a PP Nautilus 5711, but that’s not going to be happening with prices over retail of $50k right now... or even at retail.
 
I don't really have a top 3 brands but I would really like to own an HYT, Urwerk and Devon

Esquire-HYT-H3-Mushroom.jpg

Urwerk_UR210_front_FI.jpg

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Zenith, Breitling and Breguet

on the more affordable end:
Seiko
Deep Blue
Maranez
 
My HTs would be Rolex, Omega and Tudor, which are still considerably less expensive than the generally accepted Holy Trinity brands. Personally, Id really like a PP Nautilus 5711, but that’s not going to be happening with prices over retail of $50k right now... or even at retail.

People have asked why isn't Rolex part of the list? Simply answer they make too many watches compared to the other brands.
Rolex pumps out a million+ watches a yr compare to let's say Patek who only produces a few thousands and Rolex are seen as a mass
production product. Some would say Patek is what Rolls-Royce is to carmaking and Rolex is what I'd call the Mercedes-Benz of watchmaking
still has the luxury you want but you're not spending $350k.
 
I don't have an answer, unlike Bob who has to ... . But will answer this way: Zelos; Borealis and Android are my 3
on the other end choices.
 
People have asked why isn't Rolex part of the list? Simply answer they make too many watches compared to the other brands.
Rolex pumps out a million+ watches a yr compare to let's say Patek who only produces a few thousands and Rolex are seen as a mass
production product. Some would say Patek is what Rolls-Royce is to carmaking and Rolex is what I'd call the Mercedes-Benz of watchmaking
still has the luxury you want but you're not spending $350k.

I agree with you for the most part, but Rolex is an anomaly to me. It's build quality should put it in the holy trinity, but my understanding as to the real reason it is not part of it is that the holy trinity club is made of watch brands in which AP is the oldest at being founded in 1875, i.e. 18th and 19th century brands with that degree of heritage and pedigree. However, Rolex is part of the 20th century. Nevertheless, I would say that Rolex is a mass-produced largely sporty model, like Porsche, that is still made, in significant part, by hand, to Patek as a more delicate older Rolls-Royce as you say (before they were made much more sporty and powerful). I really can say that my Rolexes are "bombproof" which cannot be said of delicate Pateks (though I would be thrilled to have one) and even A. Lange & Sohne. I have no other brand pieces, including my Omegas and Breitlings down to Orisses, Deep Blue, etc. that are built like as much of a tank as my Rolexes. The problem is that the "bling" jewelry people, who have no interest in horology, set their sites on Rolexes and that has had a large tainting (read: disgusted) effect on the horological community. If the watch community would excise that fact, they would be left with an admittedly overpriced brand (reflecting demand and not intrinsic value), but that are absolutely lifetime pieces that almost cannot be stopped.
 
I’ll go rolex, but specifically the Deapsea, Blancpain fifty, omega P.O. hey I’m a dive watch guy :)
 
I agree with you for the most part, but Rolex is an anomaly to me. It's build quality should put it in the holy trinity, but my understanding as to the real reason it is not part of it is that the holy trinity club is made of watch brands in which AP is the oldest at being founded in 1875, i.e. 18th and 19th century brands with that degree of heritage and pedigree. However, Rolex is part of the 20th century. Nevertheless, I would say that Rolex is a mass-produced largely sporty model, like Porsche, that is still made, in significant part, by hand, to Patek as a more delicate older Rolls-Royce as you say (before they were made much more sporty and powerful). I really can say that my Rolexes are "bombproof" which cannot be said of delicate Pateks (though I would be thrilled to have one) and even A. Lange & Sohne. I have no other brand pieces, including my Omegas and Breitlings down to Orisses, Deep Blue, etc. that are built like as much of a tank as my Rolexes. The problem is that the "bling" jewelry people, who have no interest in horology, set their sites on Rolexes and that has had a large tainting (read: disgusted) effect on the horological community. If the watch community would excise that fact, they would be left with an admittedly overpriced brand (reflecting demand and not intrinsic value), but that are absolutely lifetime pieces that almost cannot be stopped.

I agree and whenever asked what should be someone's first luxury watch most will always say Rolex.
I happen to like Rolex and hope to own one someday most likely one of their Cellini models I'm a big fan
of the Patek Calatrava but what they cost I can get a Rolex Cellini in Rose Gold some even offering a GMT or a moon phase
you put any of these complications in that Patek and we talking 30k? Minimum? Whereas the Rolex can be had between 13k-24k?
 
Zenith, Breitling and Breguet

on the more affordable end:
Seiko
Deep Blue
Maranez

I'm surprised to not see IWC on that list.

People have asked why isn't Rolex part of the list? Simply answer they make too many watches compared to the other brands.
Rolex pumps out a million+ watches a yr compare to let's say Patek who only produces a few thousands and Rolex are seen as a mass
production product. Some would say Patek is what Rolls-Royce is to carmaking and Rolex is what I'd call the Mercedes-Benz of watchmaking
still has the luxury you want but you're not spending $350k.

Hey I'm not a Rolex guy simply because the designs don't do it for me. But they are made fantastically. To me it is far more impressive for a company like Rolex to turn out the quality of product they make at such a large number than it is for someone else to make something equally good but only make a couple hundred of them. I'm not saying AP's VC's, Van Cleef etc aren't great, they are. But the propping up of these brands because they are made in more limited numbers is a bunch of propaganda.
 
I'm surprised to not see IWC on that list.



Hey I'm not a Rolex guy simply because the designs don't do it for me. But they are made fantastically. To me it is far more impressive for a company like Rolex to turn out the quality of product they make at such a large number than it is for someone else to make something equally good but only make a couple hundred of them. I'm not saying AP's VC's, Van Cleef etc aren't great, they are. But the propping up of these brands because they are made in more limited numbers is a bunch of propaganda.
Actually, VC stands for Vacheron Constantin I was just too lazy before to write the whole name done. But I get what you are saying.
 
Actually, VC stands for Vacheron Constantin I was just too lazy before to write the whole name done. But I get what you are saying.
Yeah man I knew you meant Vacheron... I included Van Cleef cause they are of the same ilk, even if they aren't considered part of the "trinity" There are many of these marque super-luxury brands.
 
I'm surprised to not see IWC on that list.

I guess as a brand, I'm not as in love with IWC as I am with Breitling, Breguet, and Zenith.

But I did get really hooked on that Petit Prince when we were at the IWC boutique. And I liked the Top Gun as well.....


iwc_pilot_s_watch_chronograph_le_petit_prince_iw377717.png


IWC-Top-Gun-8.jpg
 
Based solely on numbers in my collection it would Bulova, Android/ Aragon & Invicta (including Imperious, Glycine and Technomarine).

Higher end brands (but still affordable - everything's relative) in my collection but in much smaller numbers would be Eterna, Hamilton & Tissot.
 
I'm not sure I have an actual answer for this. I don't have a top 3 brands in my collection. I do in the way of numbers that I own.

If I really had to put some names out there because of a gun to my head, I would say:

1. Breitling
2. Aragon?
3. Rolex
 
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