PATEK PHILIPPE

Antoine Norbert de Patek was born in 1812 in Poland and grew up in difficult circumstances. He enlisted in the Polish 1st Mounted Rifles Regiment at the age of 16 and served in the Polish-Russian War, also known as the November Uprising (1830-1831). In 1831, he was awarded the Virtuti Militari, Poland's highest military honor for bravery (similar to the American Medal of Honor). Patek and his fellow troops were forced to embark on the 'Great Emigration' to Western Europe later that year when the Polish rebellion against Russian occupying forces was suppressed. Patek had originally resided in France, but after the French government issued an unfavorable ruling, he was obliged to relocate to Switzerland (under pressure from the Russian embassy).

He got attracted by the city's watchmaking legacy as well as the accompanying talent of engravers, enamellers, and jewellers in Geneva, Switzerland. Patek sought out the companionship of other immigrants as a refugee and met François Czapek, a Polish watchmaker of Czech heritage. Patek, Czapek, and Thomas Moreau (his wife's uncle) founded Patek, Czapek & Cie – Fabricants à Genève on May 1, 1839; little did Patek realize that this would be the start of a long legacy.

The firm was profitable from the start, but growing disagreement between Patek and Czapek meant the two men had to separate ways at some point. Patek met gifted French watchmaker Jean Adrien Philippe during the French Industrial Exposition of 1844 in Paris, on the search for a new partner.

Philippe's patented invention, a mechanism for winding a movement and setting the hands without the need of a separate key, was given a Gold Medal at the exposition. This naturally drew Patek's attention. Patek ended his collaboration with Czapek a year later and founded Patek & Cie – Fabricants à Genève with Jean Adrien Philipppe and Vincent Gostkowski, a third partner. The firm was renamed Patek, Philippe & Cie in 1851. While Philippe adapted contemporary manufacturing procedures, Patek developed an innovative marketing strategy that helped the company's watches become some of the world's most sought-after timepieces.

Patek's travels brought him from the United States to Germany, Italy, and Russia. Patek was never physically strong to begin with, and when his anemia deteriorated in 1875, he felt obligated to name a successor to ensure that his life's work was not jeopardized. Cingria, Rouge, and Köhn, three workers, invested funds in the firm and became co-owners of the company. Antoine Norbert de Patek died on March 1, 1877, at the age of 65. Léon, his 20-year-old son, was adamant about not joining the firm. He relinquished all rights in exchange for a yearly stipend of 10,000 francs and lived as a rentier until his death in 1927.

Jean Adrien Philippe, the son of a watchmaker, was born in La Bazoche-Gouet, France, on April 16, 1815. Philippe moved down in Paris after a spell as a journeyman, when he created a system that allowed pocket watches to be wound and set using a crown rather than a key.

In 1844, he exhibited his timepieces at the Paris Industrial Exhibition, where they were seen by Patek. Philippe joined the firm as technical director a year later, in 1845, and was in charge of the manufacture of current models, the continuous refinement of production methods, and the invention of new models and mechanisms. Initially, he focused on developing his keyless winding and hand-setting mechanism, which was covered by French patent No. 1317 dated 1845 and depended on a crown in the pocket watch pendant. He was given two more patents in 1860 and 1861 for improvements to his crown winding and hand-setting mechanism. While Patek promoted artisanal perfection, lavish watch decoration with engravings, enameling techniques, and precious stones that transform watches into luxurious works of art, Philippe was driven by his horological ambitions and consistently emphasized the refinement of underlying technologies and the ongoing development of complications.

Philippe's keyless working idea was so innovative that wristwatch winding movements today still use his design concept. The two founders' aspirations resulted in the prestigious Patek Philippe brand that exists today.

After Antoine Norbert de Patek's death in 1877, his son Léon withdrew in exchange for a lifetime pension. Jean Adrien Philippe (then 76 years old) turned up his post to his youngest son, Joseph Emile Philippe, two years before his death. Köhn departed the firm in the same year, and Cingria returned his shares. He was followed by François Antoine Conty, who had been in charge of manufacturing for years. The proprietors chose the now-standard legal form of a joint-stock corporation in 1901 to ensure the firm's continuity beyond partnership agreements that were limited in time. "Ancienne Manufacture d'horlogerie Patek, Philippe & Cie, Société Anonyme" replaced "Patek Philippe & Cie." The company had a share capital of 1.6 million Swiss francs, and five of the seven stockholders sat on the board of directors: A. Bénassy-Philippe, Jean Perrier, François Antoine Conty, Joseph Emile Philippe, and Alfred G. Stein. Patek Philippe watches were distributed in the United States through the latter's New York branch.

After Joseph Emile Philippe died, his son Adrien became the last scion of the family that founded the enterprise. The firm became financially strained in 1932 as a result of the worldwide economic crisis and sought a buyer.

The 1929 Wall Street Disaster, often known as Black Tuesday, was the most devastating stock market crash in United States history. It marked the start of the global Great Depression, which lasted 12 years. Ancienne Manufacture d'horlogerie Patek, Philippe & Cie SA was not immune to the abyss, and had financial difficulties as a result of several of its clients defaulting on payment commitments. In order to prevent being bought out by a rival, the directors contacted Charles and Jean Stern, whose business Cadrans Stern Frères made high-quality dials and was one of Patek Philippe's favored suppliers. Previously, the two firms had a pleasant working relationship. The Stern brothers, motivated by a desire to preserve and maintain Swiss watchmaking history, not only assisted Patek Philippe, but also bought an interest in the firm in 1932 and completely owned it a year later.

They chose against taking over Patek Philippe right away and instead engaged recognized watchmaker and horological expert Jean Pfister (who was poached from Tavannes Watch Co. in Geneva) as the company's CEO. Pfister was the company's technical director until 1958, when he retired.

Charles Stern was named chairman of the board of directors in 1934, and his son Henri Stern joined the firm to help him. In 1946, he founded the Henri Stern Watch Agency in New York, which operated as Patek Philippe's exclusive importer and distributor in the United States. When Jean Pfister retired in 1958, Henri Stern was named chairman and chief executive.

He also began collecting rare and distinctive clocks maintained in the factory, which eventually became the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. Even as the demand for lavishly decorated timepieces with engravings, miniature painting, cloisonné, and champlevé enamel waned, he continued to commission works from the few remaining artists whose craftsmanship had contributed significantly to Geneva's reputation but were gradually fading into obscurity. The ornately adorned clocks that were unsold were simply added to his collection as a nod to their creators.

Tradition, on the other hand, did not imply a rejection of innovation. Patek Philippe, on the other hand, has always valued creativity. Patek Philippe, which formed its electronics section in 1946, quickly became a major provider of information systems for railway stations and airports, thanks to its expertise in solid-state circuits for timekeeping. Patek Philippe received patents for their unique Gyromax balance in 1949 and 1951, which allowed the rate of a movement to be precision-adjusted only by changing the balance's moment of inertia.

In 1954, the company won two patents for photoelectric table clocks, and in 1956, it produced the first all-electronic clock, which got the "Award for Miniaturization" in the United States two years later. The Patek Philippe tourbillon movement, on the other hand, was a traditional all-mechanical calibre that beat the world record for precision in a chronometry competition organized by the Geneva Observatory in 1962. Beginning in 1968, the company teamed together with other Swiss watchmakers on a project that ended in the unveiling of the 'Beta 21', the first serially produced Swiss quartz movement for wristwatches, in 1970.

The first Patek Philippe quartz table clock with photoelectric cells and a patented automated winder with a peripheral rotor was introduced around the same time. Patek Philippe needed to be active on all fronts as a result of new technology. However, the founders' goal of creating the greatest and most beautiful timepieces in the world was never lost. Meanwhile, the third generation of the Stern family had began to work his way up the manufacturing ladder.

Philippe Stern, Henri's son, was born in 1938 and spent part of his youth in the United States. He was aware of the traditions of the manufacturing and of his home Geneva as a result of his family history, but he was also aware of current ideas long before they were accepted in Europe. Despite his passion for Patek Philippe, he first pursued a profession in computer technology. In 1963, he started working at the Henri Stern Watch Agency in New York. He then had to familiarize himself with all of Patek Philippe's activities when he joined the company in Geneva in 1966.

What Philippe Stern had learnt in the computer sector quickly expressed itself in the watch industry: a quicker and more dramatic cycle of quantum jumps in technical improvements. Initially, quartz wristwatches were noticeably more expensive than mechanical wristwatches, but by the 1970s, prices had dropped dramatically. Philippe Stern was requested to be in charge of a new watch model that would reflect his generation at this time. Philippe imagined a casual watch endowed with the Patek Philippe aesthetic as a sports fan. The result was the Nautilus Ref 3700/1A, which was released in 1976 with the statement "One of the world's most costly watches is now available." The Nautilus Ref 3700/1A, which debuted in 1976 with the statement "One of the world's most costly watches is made of steel," was the outcome. The Nautilus was to be his travel timepiece, and it is still considered a classic and definitive Patek Philippe timepiece today.

Philippe Stern was named CEO of Patek Philippe in 1977. He realized that only a true high-end product, or even better, a piece of art and a collector's item, stood a chance against the more precise and far less expensive quartz watches. In 1977, Patek Philippe introduced the iconic ultra-thin Caliber 240 watch (the calibre celebrates its 40th anniversary this year). It was the perfect movement for slim wristwatches, with its innovative automatic winder and a 22K gold mini-rotor completely submerged in the plate, such as the beautiful Perpetual Calendar Ref. 3940 launched in 1985.

He hired engineers to help Patek Philippe transition from a handcrafted to an industrial operation. The commitment to artisanship was maintained, but the watches were designed using detailed blueprints and the parts were crafted using cutting-edge machines to ensure component reproducibility and quality standards, as well as the company's ability to service and repair all Patek Philippe watches in the future.

Patek Philippe created the Calibre 89 with 33 complexities in 1989 to mark the company's 150th anniversary. It is one of the most intricate portable timepieces in the world.

The first Calibre 89 sold for 4.6 million Swiss francs at auction, setting a new record for clocks under the gavel. The Jump Hour Ref. 3969 and the Calatrava Officer Ref. 3960, both limited-edition anniversary wristwatches, were rapidly sold out. Patek Philippe has reignited interest in minute repeaters (the queen of complications) with two self-winding wristwatch models: the Ref. 3979 (Calibre R 27 PS) with subsidiary seconds and the Ref. 3974 (Calibre R 27 Q) with a perpetual calendar.

Philippe Stern saw ultimate independence as a must-have for ensuring the company's products' excellence without sacrificing anything. The company is largely self-sufficient, relying on partners – an external provider – for just a tiny number of movement blanks. This slight reliance would be addressed as well. Henri Stern passed the leadership to his son Philippe in 1993, and Philippe Stern's son Thierry joined the firm as a fourth-generation member in 1994.

However, Philippe Stern remained at the leadership of Patek Philippe, and his lofty aims necessitated the creation of fresh resources. Patek Philippe had several ateliers in Geneva, and he envisioned bringing them all together under one roof. The company bought a block of land in Plan-les-Ouates, a Geneva suburb, and erected a manufacturing complex there wholly with its own money. It first opened its doors in 1996. The company's employment has increased from from 300 to over 600 people since Philippe Stern took over as CEO in 1977.

With a new international image campaign in 1996, Patek Philippe also highlighted its family idea "from one generation to the next." It has been continuously polished, and its success and honors have written history in horology and communication - its slogan: "You never actually own a Patek Philippe." "All you have to do now is care after it for the next generation."

In 2001, Philippe Stern realized one of his greatest ambitions.

He was ultimately able to open the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva's Plainpalais neighborhood after spending 40 years passionately and cautiously building his own collection.

It was one of the world's most prominent horological museums from the outset, with an inventory of over 2000 watches, automata, and enamel miniatures, as well as a library with over 8000 works related to the measurement of time.

The business invested in a new "Patek Philippe Advanced Research" department a year later, focusing on innovative materials and cutting-edge technology.

In 2001, Philippe Stern realized one of his greatest ambitions. He was ultimately able to open the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva's Plainpalais neighborhood after spending 40 years passionately and cautiously building his own collection. It was one of the world's most prominent horological museums from the outset, with an inventory of over 2000 watches, automata, and enamel miniatures, as well as a library with over 8000 works related to the measurement of time. The business invested in a new "Patek Philippe Advanced Research" department a year later, focusing on innovative materials and cutting-edge technology. It was to become a key pillar of the manufacture’s philosophy – “Tradition & Innovation” – and further strengthened the independence and technical superiority of Patek Philippe. The first tangible result was an escape wheel made of a revolutionary silicon derivative which was presented in 2005: the Annual Calendar Ref. 5250.

Thierry Stern took over as president of the firm from his father in August 2009. He had completed basic watchmaker training and internships in all of Patek Philippe's departments when he initially joined the firm in 1994. For two years in 1997, he was responsible for the Benelux market. He was promoted to Creative Director a year later. He contributed to the creation of the company's initiatives as a director at Patek Philippe, where he was steadily groomed to one day assume leadership.

With Thierry Stern in charge, Philippe Stern became honorary president, while Claude Peny remained CEO. He presented the Patek Philippe Seal with written and published directions shortly after that, which thoroughly defined the quality of Patek Philippe clocks. Thierry Stern and his father Philippe were both directly involved in the creation of this constitution and the transfer from the Geneva Seal to the Patek Philippe Seal.

Patek Philippe unveiled their 175th anniversary collection in October 2014. The entire globe was waiting with baited breath to see what the manufacturer had in store for the big occasion – and if it would be able to live up to the high standards established by the 150th anniversary collection. The World-Timer with Moonphase Ref. 5575G and Chiming Jump Hour Ref. 5275P were among the clocks in the collection. All attention were attracted to the collection's crown jewel at the moment: the Grandmaster Chime Ref. 5175R, which was the most sophisticated and costly Patek Philippe timepiece ever at the time of writing. To say the least, the 175th anniversary collection was a huge hit.

(First picture above of Antoine Norbert de Patek )

(Second picture above of Jean Adrien Philippe )