A Beginners Guide to Patek Philippe

Established in 1839, Patek Philippe is a Swiss brand from Plan-les-Ouates Switzerland. Now headquartered just yards away from Rolex’s main location, Patek is one of those brands that has its own history.

These high-quality watches have a design almost any watch enthusiast instantly recognizes, mostly due to their popularity and attachment to the wrists of famous actors and royalty over the years. It has also been estimated that more than half of the luxury watches sold at auction last year were made by Patek Philippe.

How Patek Philippe started

In 1839 the original Polish and Czech founders of Patek Philipe joined forces to make pocket watches in Geneva. In only 6 years, Antoni Patek and Franciszek Czapek parted ways, each establishing his own company. Antoni Patek joined forces with Adrien Philippe in 1845 to establish Patek Philippe.

During the time of the Great Depression, the company was acquired by the Swiss Stern family. Their watches were sent to the USA where they started to enjoy international success.

As an original thinker within the watch industry, the company was one of the few in the world to manufacture its own components, however, many of these original components are no longer in production. This is why even today Patek Philippe representatives are seen at yearly watch auctions to acquire pieces they made to add to their Patek Geneva Museum.

The list of innovation attributable to the brand is considerable. The company was responsible for the first keyless watch winding system and the perpetual calenda.

Patek Phillipe has also most like influenced in way you didn’t even know, for example, the brand also invented the first electronic clock. In recent history, they began using different materials to create different patents. For example, Patek invented a silicone-based escapement. The company also made the Grandmaster Chime which has been recognized as a leading luxury watch around the world due to its complicated mechanisms.

Notable watches – and Designer 

Over the years, we’ve seen a few notable and famous watches made by the company. Arguably the most significant was the Patek Philippe Nautilus. This watch was designed by Gerald Genta, the same designer responsible for the Royal Oak made by Audemars Piguet. 

Why you should buy a Patek Philippe

When you’re buying a Patek Philippe, you are not only purchasing a watch but a piece of history, a time portal in the past, with the confidence that the timeless innovation with a Patek Philippe will last a lifetime.  

Sure, these original Patek Phlippe watches online are probably among the most expensive in the world but they are also some of the best investment you can make.

When the time comes to consider investing in your next luxury watch, you can certainly consider Patek Philippe among the most important brands for your purchase.

You will get a watch manufactured by one of the companies with the longest uninterrupted production cycles in the world. Its history can’t be easily matched.

Patek, together with Rolex and 2-3 other brands are the only companies manufacturing their own watch parts. The know-how in this field the Swiss company has is truly impressive as a result.