Patek Philippe riding on the coattails of its history, says Eric Wind
Forging a reputation based on absolute transparency and no little passion, Wind Vintage’s Eric Wind is one of the most trusted experts in the world of vintage watches.
As part of a wide-ranging upcoming interview with Watch Insider, Wind revealed what he feels has made Rolex so successful over such a long period of time.
“Rolex makes a great product,” he said. “When you look at the vintage watches, they’re essentially the only vintage watches from the 1950s and 60s you can still make water resistant, which is remarkable compared to every other brand. So they’ve been dedicated to making great products for a century.”
He also spoke about Patek Philippe, but his praise of the brand was more qualified. “It was the best of the best for a long, long time,” he opined. “I feel like with modern Patek, the quality isn’t where the vintage watches are, honestly, in terms of hand finishing and case production, and everything else.
“I think they’re surviving a bit on the coattails of their history. They make some remarkable watches like the rare handcrafts, which are special dials and clocks that no one else really makes, but their average watches are probably overpriced compared to other brands, and they’re surviving a bit on the coattails of their history and legacy.
“But scarcity helps them because, at the end of the day, they make approximately 80,000 watches or so and there are just many more people that care about the brand than the amount of watches they produce.”
The full in-depth interview will be published in the June 2026 edition of Watch Insider.
