Introduced in 1932, the same year that the Sterns took over the company, these are defined by slim round cases, elegant lugs, and clean dials. The Patek Philippe Calatrava is a collection of Bauhaus-inspired, minimalist dress watches. The modern Patek Philippe selection is no less impressive, with plenty of highly coveted pieces – from sport luxury watches like the Nautilus and Aquanaut, to beautifully designed complications including the Annual Calendar, Flyback Chronograph, Pilot Travel Time, World Time, and World Time Chronograph.
As of 2018, seven among the world’s top ten most expensive watches ever sold at auction are Patek Philippe timepieces. By 1984, vintage watch collecting became a popular hobby, thus revitalizing interest in Patek Philippe.īeginning in the year 2000s, Patek Philippe timepieces have repeatedly set record prices in auctions worldwide. It was during this time that they introduced the Patek Philippe Nautilus, one of the first luxury sports watches made in steel. In 1977, Philippe Stern, Charles Stern’s grandson, took over the company and helped it navigate the Quartz Crisis that crippled the Swiss watchmaking industry.
Patek Philippe has been under the ownership of the Stern family since then and remains the oldest family-owned Genevan watch manufacture. It remains the most expensive pocket watch in history, last sold for $24 Million in 2014. “The Graves” supercomplication watch took five years to make, and houses an astounding 24 complications in double-faced gold housing. They launched their flagship watch, the Calatrava in 1932 then introduced a historic commission from American industrialist Henry Graves Jr. Under the guidance of the Stern family, the business quickly picked up and were followed by two grand accomplishments in the history of the brand. A year after, they hired Jean Pfister, a renowned watch maker, and announced that they would be making their own movements instead of sourcing them from LeCoultre. In 1932, the Sterns purchased a majority interest in the Patek Philippe & Co business. They turned to their dial supplier, Fabrique de Cadrans Sterns Frères, and its owners Charles and Jean Stern. Worldwide repercussions of the Great Depression led the owners to seek a solvent buyer for the company in the 1930s.
Philippe’s offspring continued to run the company as a family business, and installed seven shareholders into its first board. In 1901, Patek Philippe became a joint-stock company. The company was renamed Patek Philippe & Cie.įrom 1845 to Patek’s death in 1877, the company created the world’s first Swiss wristwatch and received a number of patents, including those for their keyless winding and hand-setting system, and their precision regulator. The company was eventually liquidated and Patek would go on to work with another watchmaker, Adrien Philippe, the inventor of the keyless winding mechanism. Named Patek, Czapek & Cie, the partnership lasted for six years. The history of Patek Philippe began in 1839, when Antoine Norbert de Patek, a former Polish cavalryman, established a watch factory with François Czapek, a watchmaker. Explore our selection of authentic, pre-owned Patek Philippe watches at. Whether you’re looking for a classic timepiece like the Calatrava, sporty like the Nautilus or Aquanaut, or complicated like the Perpetual Calendar, the elegance and heritage of a Patek Philippe watch is unmatched. Patek Philippe is also famous for its longstanding tagline: “You never actually own a Patek Philippe, you merely look after it for the next generation.” Indeed, fans of the brand attest to the fact that they are built to last several lifetimes and treat them like family heirlooms. Moreover, Patek Philippe is renowned for their hand-finished watches and skilled craftsmen who ensure that every timepiece is of the highest standard. It has made several world-first mechanical complications, including the first double chronograph (1902), the first wrist chronograph (1923), and the first wristwatch with a perpetual calendar (1925). One of the most revered Swiss watch manufactures of all time, the Patek Philippe brand is synonymous with impeccable craftsmanship, exclusivity, and a rich history of pioneering watchmaking inventions.įounded in 1839, Patek Philippe has built a reputation for pushing the boundaries of fine mechanical watchmaking. Patek Philippe is widely regarded as the most prestigious watch brand in the world.