Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe

[Class_first]

Fellow members, I am new in this forum and what a beautiful forum this is - I will start my forum history with a familiar topic, but I'd like to hear your views -

I was so far an Omega and Rolex fanboy (yes, this is real) and my occasional extended window shopping trips were focussed on these 2. Then one day I had decided to visit the boutiques of the oldest Maison, Vacheron Constantin (1755) ... and also Blancpain (1735)..out of curiosity as I had never had any of their products in my hands and also because they have been around significantly longer than most of their Peers.

Patek was founded in 1839 ... 84 years after Vacheron and 104 years after Blancpain. these numbers have to be digested.

Blancpain was in business until the quartz crisis. they have refused to produce quartz watches and they came back to business when Biver bought the IP right to the brand in 1983. remarkable fact. but i will not focus on blancpain here.

JLC - 1833
AP - 1875

Vacheron Constantin, further Facts:
- produce 20k watches/year, as compared to Patek's 50k - exclusivity
- bear the Geneva hallmark, as compared to Patek who have their "own" hallmark (v convenient..)
- have timepieces of outstanding beauty and refinement, as I could witness in the boutique
- have no waiting lists, as compared to Patek who create a somewhat elusive feel&touch of desirability by limiting production, thus fuelling the myths around the whole Thing, further increasing the desirability, the length of the waiting lists, ADs preferring "good" clients to new clients etc.... will focus on this point below...
- are "Independent", which most people celebrate as something great. I do not grasp why this is a great Feature. isnt is that like that they become untouchable? the fact that they have their own hallmark speaks for itself. intransparent? secondly, looking at Richemont, they have Lange, JLC and VC under their umbrella... brands in the same corporate holding better be great competitors, or sooner or later the shareholder(s) will declare "le roi c'est moi" with no other option than The End or sale to a chinese "fund" :-)

what's the point here...

what makes patek that much superior to VC?

VC has produced the most complex timepiece ever. I dont have Details but it is fact. so they are purportedly "Independent" but still manage to produce many technical miracles. so not Patek but VC.

VC's Quality is second to none. visible with the bare eye. one should look at the Photograph below... pure masculinity in spite of classic Dress watch shape... perfect dresswatch....

VC does not annoy its potential and actual clientele with artificially long waiting lists. you order, they produce and they deliver.

why does patek find it necessary to create artificial mystery by undersupply? can they compete if they were to increase production? can they still compete for ultimate Top of The Trinity position?

What is the myth behind the Nautilus? the Crystal has glare. the dial is gorgeous but only in the right light and only when seen from straight vertical line above. otherwise it reflects and the beauty goes. is it a beautiful watch? the dial is ugly in the eyes of many. I see the fascination with it, I do - its looks are unique. but why would I spend 25 grand for it,a scratch-sensitive steelwatch of reliability subpar to Rolex rather than JLC, Lange, or VC? especially VC with its heritage and its achievement of having built the most complex timepieces ever.

the below VC model: no glare. perfect Colors from any angle. Beauty.

Yes, VC's pricing is not subpar to Patek. But they are unique as they are just less of them in the wild. why would people not want this exclusivity?

or to put it differently: why are VC watches not a hot topic neither here in the forum nor elsewhere in the web?

what would happen with Patek had they not come up with the Nautilus? can they ever discontinue it? imagine they would decide to discontinue the blue 5711 - what would happen to the brand?