Audemars Piguet VS Breguet: Which is best?

Two exclusive watch brands are juxtaposed and benchmarked in the ultimate comparison to see how they match up to one another.

These are two over-a-century old watchmakers that have made their permanent mark on the industry. They are both very special in their own way, and each has watches that run into the six-figures-and-up price range, but how do they compare to one another in a no holds barred match? Stay with us as we complete the greatest comparison of Breguet and AP watches.

   

Many watch brands are world-famous and a household name to the average layman. On the other hand, there are many watch brands that are only the types of names that you would recognize if you become an insider in the watch collecting and watch enthusiast world. These brands are more elusive and prestigious than even the two most recognized brands; Rolex and Omega.

While some of these more exclusive and luxurious brands are unheard of to most people, they are highly respected and instantly recognized by those that are in-the-know when it comes to horology; the art and science of watchmaking. Many factors will be discussed in this comparison, including the age of the watchmaker, the exclusivity of the brand, the mechanical complications engineered into their top-shelf watches, and more.

When we get asked questions such as “What’s better, an Audemars Piguet or Breguet watch?” or “What should I buy, a Breguet or an AP?”. There are too many contexts wherein these types of questions can be asked. Therefore, to answer each and every one of them, we will compare them on every available level.

Breguet founded their company in 18^th century France in the year 1775- versus its competitor Audemars Piguet which was founded one century later in Switzerland in the year 1875. 

Breguet is the 6^th most famous Swiss watch brand in the world, Audemars Piguet is the world’s 7th most recognized Swiss watch brand. 

Audemars Piguet has entry-level watches that have an MSRP that is over $23,100. Their most expensive watches such as the AP Tourbillon Openworked Only Watch Edition sold for $1 million Swiss Francs (over $1.1 million USD) in 2019. Breguet has entry-level watches that have a price tag that begins at around $11,800. However, being one of the oldest watch brands in existence, they have some very historically significant antique pieces such as the famous Marie-Antoinette which took 45 years to create and is worth around $10 million dollars.

More often than not, watches will lose some of their value after you use it for the first time. Generally speaking one should never look at luxury timepieces as an "investment" since investments are by definition designed to appreciate in value. That said, there are some watch brands that will on average hold a higher percentage of their value when sold on the pre-owned market. 

Audemars Piguet is a harder watch to get your hands on and is therefore a more exclusive brand which is a major contribution to its higher resale value. Breguet watches are more readily available on the preowned market and therefore has more competitive pricing when sold as a previously owned watch.  On average, AP has a higher resale value when compared to Breguet. Some Breguet watches (such as certain limited edition watches) may fetch a higher resale value than some AP watches, but on average, Audemars Piguet is better at it.

  

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