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Switzerland has become synonymous with luxury watches and one of the top Swiss watch brands of all time is Patek Philippe.
The last family-owned independent watch manufacturer left in Geneva, the company was founded in 1839 and has remained in the hands of the Stern family since then. This continuity of ownership allows Patek Philippe to maintain its unique identity. The brand takes its creative freedom seriously.
Indeed, it’s Patek Philippe’s unparalleled approach to design that has allowed the swiss manufacturer to achieve status as one of the best watch companies in the world.
Unanimously declared by experts to be responsible for some of the finest timepieces in existence, Patek Philippe watches are created on the basis of decades of knowledge and horological understanding. What makes a Patek Philippe watch so special is the fact that each detail has been finished by hand by a dedicated master craftsman. Just look at the brand’s mechanical chronograph watches to see how far Patek Philippe can push the boundaries of complications. These are also some of the most expensive watches on the planet.
But while the brand is proud of its heritage, the company is also innovative and future-facing, combining skills acquired over its 177 years in existence with high-tech equipment and machinery.
The company also collaborates with artisan craftsmen to develop unique one-of-a-kind models that go on to become some of the most coveted timepieces on the market.
Indeed, another reason for the brand’s appeal is the fact that less than 1 million Patek Philippe watches have been created since 1839. That’s very few, and this scarcity makes them highly sought-after.
On a constant quest for perfection, the very name Patek Philippe has become a guarantee of reliability and star quality.
You don’t become one of the Holy Trinity of watchmakers just like that. It takes decades upon decades of unwavering attention to detail, savoir-faire passed down through generations, and an uncompromising taste for creativity and originality. Patek Philippe has all this—in droves.
Patek Philippe is one of the oldest watchmaking companies in the world. Its timepieces are some of the most exclusive and coveted watches in existence. Prices have hit new and staggering highs. And Patek Philippe shows no signs of slowing down yet.
How much does a Patek Philippe watch cost?
The starting price for a Patek Philippe men’s watch is around $18,000 for an Aquanaut. The iconic Patek Philippe Nautilus price is at least $27,000, while the most expensive Patek Philippe watches reach over $300,000.
What is the most expensive Patek Philippe watch?
The most expensive Patek watch ever sold is a Grandmaster Chime 6300A-010, made especially for the Only Watch Charity Auction in Geneva in 2019. It sold for a staggering $31.19 million USD. Made from steel, it features 20 different complications, including an alarm, earning it the status of the most complex Patek Philippe wristwatch ever created.
What is the cheapest Patek Philippe watch?
The cheapest Patek watch is the Aquanaut. Patek watches have a starting price of around $18,000. Patek Philippe’s line of women’s watches is also one of the more affordable options. Patek Philippe Twenty-4 watches start at around $13,000.
History of Patek Philippe
The story of Patek Philippe starts with Antoni Patek. He was born in Poland but fled his country in the early 1800s, seeking asylum in Paris and then Geneva in 1833. Here, along with Czech-born watchmaker Franciszek Czapek, he began buying and fitting watch movements in his own cases under the name Patek, Czapek & Cie.
On a trip to Paris in 1844, Patek met an innovative French watchmaker named Jean Adrien Philippe, who had gained a reputation in the industry for his keyless watch wound by a crown.
The Patek Philippe collaboration was born in 1851, and the brand quickly garnered positive attention and established a name for itself. Its accomplishments and innovations included a precision regulator, a Patek watch that could display multiple time zones, a perpetual calendar for pocket watches, and the first-ever double chronograph.
The ethos behind the company was clear: a quest for perfection. Soon, members of the royal family and other aristocrats were seen sporting Patek Philippe creations.
During the Great Depression in the 1930s, the company sought external investment. Two Genevan brothers stepped forward, Jean and Charles Stern, who purchased a majority interest. Following this, the company started making its own in-house movements and also launched its flagship model, the Patek Philippe Calatrava.
Patek Philippe is still owned by the Stern family to this day. They have overseen the release of an incredible number of boundary-pushing timepieces, including a tourbillon movement that achieved a precision record at the Geneva Observatory that remains unbeaten, as well as the company’s first Nautilus sports watch in 1976, plus its first annual calendar in 1996.
In 2001, The Patek Philippe Museum was opened, dubbed a ‘Temple to Watchmaking’, and is considered one of the best horological museums in the world—unsurprisingly, as it is, after all, owned by one of the top luxury watch brands in the world.
Interesting facts about the brand
- In 1857, Queen Victoria ordered a self-winding lady’s timepiece from the company. She also owned a second Patek watch, worn suspended from a diamond and enamel brooch.
- In 1989, the company released the Calibre 89. It features no less than 33 complications—the most ever in a portable timepiece.
- The brand has reportedly made less than 1 million Patek watches since 1839. This gives you an idea of the exclusivity of owning a Patek Philippe watch.
- The most complicated Patek watches take more than two years to create.
- To
own a Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref.6300G, you have to make an
application to the Stern family so they can ensure that Patek watches
are only bought by people who can prove their appreciation for them.
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