The Holly Trinity....

The 3 members of the Holy Trinity are - Patek Philippe (The undisputed KING), Vacheron Constantin (The retired King and grandfather) and Audemars Piguet (The ambitious Prince).

Which is best? Personally - stay away from the ROO - it is too "new money"
The classic Royal Oak is a watch worth obtaining... it is classy and attracts smiles from the right type of ladies (slightly older early 40s Asian beauties). The ROO attracts the "gold digger" type of woman.

My Royal Oak is a Two Tone piece and has the grey waffle dial. Classy yet elegant.

I also own a vintage Vacheron & Constantin. The watch is from 1960. This was when Vacheron was ahead of Patek in the quality/detail race for the title as KING. The Vacheron was a much classier watch in its day.... god forbid how times have changed. The casualisation of society is to blame. The Vacheron is the ultimate dress watch.

The Patek Philippe I own is a classic reincarnation.... it is as classy as the Merecedes-Benz 230SL Pagoda I owned for a time. The Patek 5107 is a GRANDE version - larger than the original 1960s interruptation - yet it is 1960s charm with its 1960s hands, classic dial configuration and shape of the case.

Personally - I would stay away from Trinity Sports watches - Rolex and Omega make excellent pieces for much less money. The Trinity is a very special type of membership - which is best reserved for a dress watch.

I own the full Trinity - AP, PP, VC and my favorite is the Vacheron & Constantin (the & signifies old money as opposed to noveau riche tackiness).

...and an interesting perspective on some watch brands. I am not sure I fully agree with it, but I can see where you are coming from.

Personally, I feel that AP makes some very cool sport watches, but - of course - that is just my opinion. This said, I would personally choose an Nautilus over a RO (even though I am not really a fan of GG's designs).

But I must admit that I am puzzled by your last sentence: "the & signifies old money as opposed to noveau riche tackiness"....???

Alberto Schileo
Patek Philippe Forum Moderator
Tempus fugit, horologia manent

In the early 1970s Vacheron dropped the & in the name Vacheron & Constantin.

The & signifies a pre 1970s piece.

...but why old money vs. nouveau riche? Are you suggesting that the V&C pieces should only be inherited, as opposed to bought in the collectors' markets? I am afraid that I still do not understand...

Alberto Schileo
Patek Philippe Forum Moderator
Tempus fugit, horologia manent