Battle of the Watches: Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe

　　Vacheron Constantinwith Patek Philippe are very famous watches in the watch world, and their achievements are also very high, so whose is better? Let's compare them today.

　　Rules for Watch Comparison

　　When we are faced with watches that feel very similar in all aspects, how can we rationally judge which watch is more worth buying and which has higher collection value? It seems that everyone has their own opinion, and there is no ready-made theory or unified quantifiable standard. However, we can summarise commonalities from the experiences of some senior watch collectors and players, subdividing them into the 'Ten Rules of Watch Comparison'. They are as follows: 1. Overall styling design; 2. Case craftsmanship level; 3. Strap, bracelet, and clasp craftsmanship design; 4. Movement design; 5. Movement craftsmanship level; 6. Movement performance; 7. Ergonomics and handling feel; 8. Dial legibility and recognisability; 9. Price; 10. Appreciation potential. The maximum score for each evaluation criterion is 10 points, adopting a standard scoring system, with the highest standards currently achievable in the industry as full marks.

　　Two watches that are extremely similar

　　Vacheron Constantin47120 and Patek Philippe 5070G. Both watches are white gold chronograph models modified and finished based on the Nouvelle Lémania manual-winding movement. They are both similar and unique in terms of brand appeal, functions, styling, materials, dial design, and case design. If one really has to choose one of them, it is truly hard to decide. Since that is the case, let's put them head-to-head in a showdown.

　　Overall styling design

　　The lustre of white gold is neither as 'flashy' as yellow gold or rose gold, nor does it have the coldness of steel, let alone the melancholic feel of platinum. Moreover, the palladium plating on the surface of white gold appropriately exhibits the understated temperament I require. Since its introduction, PP5070 has produced yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold models, and last year platinum was added. Choosing two models of VC47120 and PP5070G, both in white gold, for comparison, I think the result is relatively objective.

　　The case diameter of VC47120 is 41.5 mm and the thickness is 10.9 mm, which can be called a twin brother to the PP5070G with a case diameter of 42 mm and a thickness of 11 mm. From the appearance, the chronograph pusher shape of VC47120 is relatively orthodox cylindrical, and the design of the lugs is one of the recognition features that VC has strived to make into a high-end 'Malta cross' collection in recent years, achieving an effect that blends classical beauty with modern industrial design. On the other hand, although PP5070 adopts a large square pusher design, its case shape appears slightly conservative. From a personal aesthetic point of view, I would lean towards VC47120.

　　Strap and clasp craftsmanship design

　　As the saying goes: details determine success or failure. No matter how beautiful a flower is, without good green leaves to set it off, it will lose its lustre. A good watch must display a seamless sense of beauty in the styling design of its strap and clasp.

　　Like PP5070G, VC47120 is crafted with premium black alligator leather and a light brown soft leather lining, giving good reason to suspect they were processed by the same factory. I noticed that the strap head of VC47120 has a small notch on each side for quick release of the strap spring bars (without tools), but this time VC47120 does not use this type of pin. The materials and workmanship of both straps reach the standard of first-class leather goods, being moderately soft and comfortable to wear. The only difference is that VC47120 features a white gold pin buckle design in the shape of a "Maltese Cross" for 18K, while PP5070G has a white gold folding clasp design for 18K. This premium PP clasp is commonly known as the "lantern buckle" because its shape resembles a traditional Chinese round lantern. Although for Asians, who generally have less robust builds, a folding clasp does not actually offer the best wearing comfort, from the perspective of the VC or PP brands, the design of the strap buckle determines the positioning of the watch itself—as the saying goes, "attitude determines altitude".

　　Case Craftsmanship Level

　　A watch case, from the cutting and shaping of the blank, to welding and trimming, to the polishing of edges and corners, and then to the treatment of the joints between various components, highly tests the watchmaker's skill. The complexity of the case shape, the integration of different materials, the transition between surface treatment techniques such as polishing and brushing, and the polishing technique of right-angled edges, also determine the value of a watch from another perspective.

　　The case processing and finishing of VC47120 do not disgrace VC's reputation at all. The transition between the case and the bezel, and the right-angled steps of the lugs are smooth, and the assembly of the crown and pushers is precise and reliable, showing the style that a top-tier watch should have. More importantly, its case circumference (bezel) features a wide-edge design that I personally prefer, rather than a double-layered bezel like PP5070G. Its sapphire crystal exhibition caseback is secured by 6 K-gold screws.

　　The complexity of the polishing and finishing process on the case of PP5070G is similar to that of VC47120. If one must nitpick, it can only be said that the lugs of PP5070G lack the painstaking dedication seen in VC47120. It also features a sapphire crystal exhibition caseback secured by screws, which requires a dedicated PP wrench to open—then again, which collector needs to open the caseback themselves?