From its inception over 150 years ago, Patek Philippe has maintained its unparalleled standing in the world of luxury watches.
With a reputation for innovation, Patek Philippe timepieces have come to symbolise the idea that painstaking craftsmanship never goes out of style, as told in their slogan, “You never really own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.”
The beginning
In 1844, Polish watchmaker Antoni Patek met Adrien Philippe at the Industrial Exposition in Paris, after Philippe won an award for a timepiece that showcased a new keyless winding mechanism which he had invented.
Their subsequent partnership resulted in the creation of Patek Philippe, and soon their timepieces would become synonymous with prestige as they became a favourite of royalty and the nobility. The first Swiss wristwatch was a Patek Philippe that was made for the Countess Koscowicz of Hungary.[1]
Patek Philippe continued to solidify their reputation as watchmaking pioneers when in 1933, after six years of work, they crafted the world’s most complicated pocket watch, the ‘Graves Supercomplication.’[2]
In modern times
The brand’s rich and storied history has fed into Patek Philippe’s modern day philosophy as they continue to be known for watchmaking excellence.
Today, they are Geneva’s only independent, family-owned watchmakers, and all of their timepieces are produced and hand-finished in-house. Even the most basic Patek Philippe watches take a minimum of nine months to craft, while their more complicated pieces can and do take years.
As a result, there are a scarcity of Patek Philippe watches available, a fact which has only added to their desirability. The brand estimates that fewer than one-million watches have been produced since their inception. To put this in perspective, in just one year Rolex were estimated to have produced around 800,000 watches.[3]
“You never really own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation”
The future of your Patek Philippe
You don’t want to put your watch in just anyone’s hands – and you don’t have to. At Stanhope, we provide robust insurance solutions to suit your lifestyle and protect your timepiece.
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[1] Patek Philippe | Company | History
[2] Patek Philippe | About Time | The Grandmaster Chime
[3] How Many Watches Does Rolex Make a Year? – Millenary Watches