The Holy Trinity, also known as The Big Three, is the name given in horology to three of the biggest and oldest watchmakers in the world.[1] The watch brands are Patek Phillipe, Audemars Piguet and Vacheron Constantin, known for their complex and high-end movements.[2] The classification dates back to at least the 1970s.[3]
Applying the concept of the Holy Trinity, a concept with religious origins derived from Christianity, to the three companies is based on the high levels of detail put into their hand-crafted products, as well as the prestige associated with their long histories within the Swiss watch industry[4] (founded in 1839, 1875, and 1755, respectively).
Rolex, despite being the most widely recognizable Swiss watch brand, isn't a part of the Holy Trinity of watches. The reasoning for this being that Rolex has historically produced larger quantities of tool watches focused on ease-of-use and robustness, rather than small quantities of highly intricate and decorated devices featuring advanced complications.[5]
References
edit- ^ "The Holy Trinity of Watchmaking - Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet". Horus Straps.
- ^ "The Holy Trinity of Luxury Watches | WatchBox". www.thewatchbox.com.
- ^ "What Is the Holy Trinity of Watches?". Bob's Watches. January 28, 2019.
- ^ "The Holy Trinity of Luxury Watches". www.watchmaster.com.
- ^ "Holy Trinity of Watches: Patek, AP and Vacheron! Not Rolex?". Dapperwristcheck.com.