Description

Patek Philippe is the last independent family-owned Geneva based watchmaker, with a glorious history of producing incredibly gorgeous and ultra-complicated timepieces, commissioned by royalty, heads of states and some industrialists who changed the course of history.

The first perpetual calendar by Patek Philippe was produced in 1864, delivered on March 24, 1865, to F. de la Peña, watchmaker to the queen and supplier to the court of Madrid.

One of the first Patek Philippe super-complicated watches was commissioned by automobile mogul James Ward Packard in 1916, followed by several more requests from the same gentleman, the last of which, an astronomical watch with 10 complications and a star chart, was delivered in 1927 to his hospital bed while he was battling brain tumour.

Then came the legendary super-complication timepiece made for Henry Graves Jr., with 24 complications, completed in 1932, which sold at Sotheby’s in 1999 for a staggering USD $11M, and then sold again in 2014 for USD $24M making it the most expensive timepiece ever sold at that time, earning it the title ‘Mona Lisa of watchmaking’.

Combining different complications together is in the DNA of Patek Philippe.
Here are a few of several known examples of combined complications:
• Minute repeater and chronograph (1912)
• Minute repeater with split-seconds chronograph (1914)
• Minute repeater and perpetual calendar (1881)
• Minute repeater with chronograph and perpetual calendar (1899)
• Double-dial grand complication with minute repeater, split-seconds chronograph and perpetual calendar (1914)
• Caliber 89 – the most complicated watch of its time with 33 complications (1989)
• Star Caliber 2000 (2000)
• Skymoon Tourbillon Ref 5002 in 2001 and Ref 6002 in 2013 – the most complicated wrist watch by Patek Philippe
• Reference 5207 featuring a perpetual calendar, a minute repeater and a tourbillon (2008)

And the list goes on…

Since its inception in 1939, Patek Philippe’s quest for perfection has led to several inventions and patents.
In 1989, on the occasion of the company’s 150th anniversary, Patek Philippe surprised the horology world yet again with the introduction of Caliber 89. The most complicated watch at the time, it has 33 complications, a total of 24 hands, with 1,728 components, and weighs 1.1kgs!

Patek Philippe – Bio

Patek Philippe & Co. was founded in 1839, located in Geneva and the Vallée de Joux. It designs and manufactures timepieces and movements, including some of the most complicated mechanical watches. It is considered by many experts and aficionados to be one of the most prestigious watch manufacturers.
In 1868, Patek Philippe made their first wristwatch, which was sold on November 13, 1876 to the Hungarian Countess.
It is the last independent, family-owned Genevan watch manufacture with uninterrupted operating history spanning nearly 180 years.