The term “Holy Trinity of Watches” has been around for decades, since at least the 1970s. The Debate Over the Holy Trinity of Watches This Patek Philippe Nautilus features a perpetual calendar complication. In fact, both Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin have each, at different points in their history, held the honor of producing the most complicated watch in the world.Īside from mechanics, all three members of the Holy Trinity are also known for movements that are intricately hand-finished using traditional techniques, including the famed Côtes de Genève – aka “Geneva Stripes.” It’s often touted that these top brands give as much attention to decorating their mostly-concealed movements as they do to the dials, hands, and external components of their fine watches. Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Celestia Astronomical Grand Complication (Image: Vacheron Constantin).Ī portion of these companies’ core collection is focused on timepieces packed with intricate complications, ranging from perpetual calendars and minute repeaters, to split-seconds flyback chronographs. Vacheron Constantin holds the title of the oldest watchmaking manufacturer in the world, dating all the way back to 1755. Audemars Piguet was founded in 1875, while Patek Philippe was established in 1839 (first as Patek, Czapek & Cie).
As such, the Holy Trinity of Watches is made up of three ultra-high-end Swiss watch brands: Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe, and Vacheron Constantin.Īll three of these prestigious brands boast very long histories, which not only demonstrate centuries-old experience, but also continued relevance in today’s market. While there are certainly other nations that produce high-end watches, Switzerland still remains at the heart of high horology. 1518 sold for over $11 million in 2016 (Image: Phillips). What are the luxury watch brands that make up the Holy Trinity and how did they access membership to such an exclusive club? Read on to find out more. The largest horological membership organisation globally is the NAWCC, the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, which is USA based, but also has local chapters elsewhere.If you spend time reading up on horology and the history of fine watchmaking, you may have come across the term “Holy Trinity of Watches,” sometimes also called “The Big Three” of watches.
Definition horology professional#
Horology and horologists have numerous organizations, both professional associations and more scholarly societies.
That term is used both by people who deal professionally with timekeeping apparatuses (watchmakers, clockmakers), as well as aficionados and scholars of horology. People interested in horology are called horologists. In current usage, horology refers mainly to the study of mechanical time-keeping devices, while chronometry more broadly includes electronic devices that have largely supplanted mechanical clocks for the best accuracy and precision in time-keeping. Clocks, watches, clockwork, sundials, hourglasses, clepsydras, timers, time recorders, marine chronometers, and atomic clocks are all examples of instruments used to measure time. Horology (lit. 'the study of time' related to Latin horologium from Ancient Greek ὡρολόγιον (hōrológion) 'instrument for telling the hour' from ὥρα (hṓra) 'hour, time', interfix -o-, and suffix -logy) is the study of the measurement of time. Wikipedia Rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes
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