A Guide To
Patek Philippe Watches
The most famous Patek watch is easily the Patek & Cie pendant watch that Queen Victoria bought from the Great Exhibition of Works of all Nations in 1851. Decorated with several stunning rose-cut diamonds set into a sky blue enamel background, this was a watershed piece and represented a move forward in the Patek history. It is no coincidence that later that year, the company conquered the US and gained Tiffany & Co as an important customer.
But the history of Patek watches begins long before this point.
Shop Patek Philippe Watches
Golden Age
From 1868, when Patek created one of the first Swiss wristwatches, through to 1923, when Patek presented the first split-second chronograph wristwatch, represents a golden age for Patek watches. During this time, the team presented watch after watch to the astonishment of the public, all with ever-evolving developments. Between 1900 and 1939, Patek Philippe won over 700 timekeeping prizes and acquired many important customers, including the Graves family, who have the famous ‘Graves’ Super complication watch named after them.
Scrutiny & Quality
As with any fine watch, the hours of craftsmanship that go into it are extraordinary, but Patek takes this to the extreme. Bearing the Patek Philippe seal means that the time-piece has gone through over 600 hours of quality testing before sale. This rigorous process might account for the fact that so many of their historic timepieces are still working perfectly accurately. Making only 30,000 watches a year means that Patek can concentrate on the quality for which they are known. It also means that whether you are investing in traditional men's Patek Philippe watches, or something more unusual, you will find that the resale value is both stable and high.
Uncompromising style
Patek has continued to push the boundaries of mechanical innovation whilst creating time-pieces known for their sophisticated designs. If you are looking at ladies Patek Philippe watches, then the Twenty-4 showcases the best of time-piece innovations sitting neatly between several fine-cut diamonds. Likewise, the Ellipse model has become a shorthand for elegant and perfectly-balanced design, without compromising mechanical expertise.
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