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.

Audemars Piguet VS Breguet

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.

Which brand is older?

• Breguet founded their company in 18^th century France in the year 1775
• Audemars Piguet was founded one century later in Switzerland in the year 1875

Which brand is more famous?

• 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

Which brand is more expensive?

• 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.

Which brand is more prestigious?

• Breguet established its prestige earlier by providing the aforementioned Marie-Antoinette to the watch’s namesake, the queen of France.
• Audemars Piguet is part of what is known as the “Big Three” which in addition to AP, includes Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe. They are therefore in a class of their own and one of the most coveted and exclusive brands favored by the rich and famous. Celebrities and royalty alike wear AP watches. Tom Cruise (Actor), John Mayer (Music Superstar), Arnold Schwarzenegger (Actor), Jay-Z (Rapper/Producer), Serena Williams (Pro tennis player), LeBron James (NBA Allstar), and even Kim Kardashian-West (Queen of reality TV and wife to rapper 2020 Presidential Candidate Kayne West). Michael Schumacher, Felipe VI (King of Spain), Mohammad bin Salman (Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia), Mohammad Reza Shah (King of Iran), Juan Carlos I, (King of Spain),

Which brand has a better warranty?

• Audemars Piguet has a warranty that can be extended to up to 5 years with registration
• Breguet has a 2-year warranty

For your convenience, you can browse watches from each of these two brands using the button below:

Audemars Piguet            Breguet Watches

Which brand is better at high horology?

• Breguet is also credited with creating many firsts and numerous innovations and inventions.
  • Invented the first wristwatch (known as the Breguet No. 2639) in 1810
  • Invented the Tourbillon complication (in 1801)
  • Created what is arguably the first perpetual calendar movement for a wristwatch
  • Invented the world’s first watch shock protector known as the Pare-chute
  • Invented the self-winding rotor, a newer version can be found in all automatic watches

• AP has made major contributions to watchmaking including but not limited to inventing:
  • The 1^st Jumping-Hours watch (1921)
  • The 1^st Skeleton watch (1934)
  • The 1^st luxury Sport watch known as the AP Royal Oak (1972)
  • The world’s thinnest automatic perpetual calendar (2019)
  • (There are many more, too many to be listed here)

Which brand holds its value better than the other?

More often than not, watches will lose some of their value after you use it for the first time. Therefore, in general, 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. There are always many variables and factors that are considered during the valuation of a previously owned watch, too many to discuss in the scope of this comparison but can be found in our buyer's guide. But to answer this question, keep reading.

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.

Browse watches from each of these two brands using the button below:

Audemars Piguet            Breguet Watches