I find your comments very interesting. You have explained...

...the way VC and PP are viewed by admirers of both brands very well. I would like to add my 2c to your comments:

a) It is not only your friends who speak of the investment value and future investment value of PP. The comprehensive PP catalogue also does the same. They keep mentioning how some of their timepieces do so well at auctions, for example their old World Time pieces.  They have references like this for few of their models.

b) I have even heard that PP buys their own watches (without anyone knowing its them) at auctions to inflate their values.

c) Another thing PP is extremely proud of and continues to repeat is the fact that they are independent. They justify everything (their technical superiority, their designs (no matter how bland or ugly), when and where they introduce and launch a model etc. etc.) to the fact thet they are independent. If you read between the lines, it is their way of saying that VC, JLC, Lange are all influenced by the parent company and do not have the total corporate and marketing freedom that PP enjoys; or everything PP does is absolutely correct because they are independent.

I have always found VC's beautiful, and given their new direction, as seen this year, I think PP is headed for trouble.

- As of now, VC has a brilliant range of simple dress watches, especially in the Patrimony range. If you compare the VC Patrimony collection (SIHH 07 and Hour Lounge launches included) and the new Malte PR, and compare it to PP's entire Calatrava range, VC totally knocks them out.

- Then the masks and explorers are something PP has never done.

- Then the faboulous Bespoke department - available to any level of VC customer, not only the super rich.

- By next year, when VC hopefully increases the range of its supercomlications, it will have something more to compete with

PP on this front.

- By then, VC might just have as many movements with different variations as PP does, all with the Geneva Seal, so on a technical level, they will be equally good as VC.