A watch is more expensive than a car

Patek Philippe, Vacheron, Rolex and Jacob&Co are recognizable brands that design watches for a select few. The brand and reputation are built not by the name, but by quality, materials, reliability and craftsmanship. Unique, luxurious and beautiful watches arouse admiration. Everyone would like to wear a Rolex like James Cameron. Jennifer Lawrence wore luxury Longines watches on her wrist. Lenny Kravitz is an ambassador for Le Sentiner. Patek Philippe, considered the most prestigious watch manufacturer, believes in the philosophy that it does not need ambassadors; billionaires themselves turn to the Swiss company with a request to purchase their timepiece. A watch is more expensive than a car – it may sound abstract, but most of the companies mentioned here produce timepieces that are more expensive than luxury sports cars.

A watch is more expensive than a car – why are they so expensive?

The price of luxury watches from the best manufacturers is influenced by several factors. First of all, the best brands take great care of their reputation. Produced with the utmost mystique, mechanical watches from the most luxurious lines are made with the utmost precision and mystique. It is not without reason that we talk about watchmaking precision.

Most of the recognized brands also have a very long tradition of creating watches. Moreover, three flagship brands of luxury mechanical watches – Rolex, Patek Philippe and Vacheron have histories dating back to 1905, 1839 and 1755 respectively. Experience, quality, hand-made production – no wonder that a watch more expensive than a car is not uncommon.

Mastery Mysteries

The first element affecting the price is the complicated internal mechanism. Unlike quartz watches, which use the vibrations of a quartz crystal to keep time, mechanical watches rely on precise mechanisms composed of hundreds of microscopic parts. These parts must be hand assembled by skilled watchmakers. There are actually very few people in the world who can create a mechanical watch.

Unlike the mass production of quartz watches, mechanical watches are made in small series, which makes them more exclusive. Some of the models are unique, created to special order.

The process of creating such a unique watch requires not only high precision, but also knowledge and experience, which are the result of many years of watchmaker training. A watch that is more expensive than a car is made with greater precision than exclusive cars.

Luxury it is made not only elaborately, but also from the highest quality metal. These are often precious metals such as gold or platinum, as well as rare stones that decorate the watch dial. Watches are sometimes set with diamonds, rare shades of fancy diamonds, rubies or sapphires. The quality of the materials itself significantly increases production costs.

The quartz revolution and its impact on the watchmaking industry

In the 1970s, the watch market underwent enormous changes thanks to the so-called “quartz revolution”. Quartz watches, thanks to their precision and low production costs, began to dominate the market. This was a big challenge for traditional mechanical watch manufacturers. Within a decade, imports of Swiss watches dropped from 40 to 10 million pieces, causing serious economic problems for many companies.

Many manufacturers did not survive these changes, which led to significant reductions in the number of companies and job losses. Other companies, such as Swatch, adapted to the new realities by introducing quartz watches to their offer.

Luxury as a new survival strategy

The difficult market situation meant that only the best and most business-minded survived. Let’s be honest, they also had a business idea. Instead of competing on price and mass production, companies such as Patek or Rolex focused on giving their products the status of a symbol of luxury and prestige. Mechanical watches ceased to be just time-measuring tools and became a sign of social status.

Rolex began producing its watches using gold and other precious materials, which emphasized their high quality and exclusivity. These watches began to be perceived as symbols of success and prestige, which significantly increased their market value.

Mechanical watch as an investment

Sometimes a watch that is more expensive than a car is a symbol of luxury or investment. Unique, manufactured with the greatest precision, reliable and made of materials like the most expensive jewelry, mechanical watches are not only a symbol of prestige, but also a safe investment of capital.

Prices of precious metals are rising. Similarly, the value of unique, renowned items.

The most expensive watches in the world

It is impossible to talk about watches more expensive than a car without mentioning at least a few of the most valuable unique items that arouse desire. However, the short ranking perfectly shows the value of these most valuable unique items.

• Graff Diamonds Hallucination – $55 million

– Over 110 carats of rare colored diamonds (pink, blue, green, yellow, orange)

– Made of platinum

• Jacob & Co. Billionaire – $18 million

– 260-carat emerald diamonds

– 18-carat white gold bracelet, sapphire crystal

• Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime – $31 million

– 20 functions (perpetual calendar, moon phases, minute repeater)

– 18k gold, double-sided design

• Breguet Grande Complication Marie-Antoinette – $30 million**

– 18 carat gold

– Complex functions (minute repeater, perpetual calendar)

• Rolex Paul Newman’s Daytona – $17.8 million**

– Unique “Paul Newman” shield

– It belonged to Paul Newman, decorated with diamonds

Each of these watches combines precise mechanisms, luxurious materials and unique design, being symbols of prestige. Each one stimulates the imagination and is unique with an ever-increasing value.