A Commitment to Craftsmanship

Assembling the hundreds of components of a Patek Philippe watch is an art. Each timepiece is assembled by hand; each pinion, pivot, wheel and screw is inserted under the careful, loupe-covered eye of a master watchmaker. It is a slow process in pursuit of telling time. And that’s just the way Patek Philippe wants it.

Patek Philippe was established in 1839, when the company became part of Geneva’s proud watchmaking community. The first timepieces created by Patek Philippe were pocket watches and were coveted by European royalty; Queen Victoria purchased one in 1851 after seeing it on display at the Great Exhibition in London.

As Switzerland’s watchmaking industry boomed in the 19th century and beginning of the 20th, many manufacturers sought to cut corners by creating more timepieces. But Patek Phillippe never wavered from its commitment to quality and artisanry, and continued to handcraft all its timepieces—a tradition it upholds to this day.

Today, the storied brand is the last family-owned Swiss watchmaker of its caliber left in Geneva—a rare distinction that inspires both immense pride and great responsibility, as every watch the company makes is a direct reflection of the Stern family’s near-century of dedication.

“How do we decide which watches to create at Patek Philippe? Fortunately, in our family-owned watch company, we do not allow committees to dull the process,” explains Thierry Stern, President of Patek Philippe, who is often asked how and when the company decides which watches to develop. Is there a set process? A formula that is followed? In fact, at Patek Philippe, creating watches is a matter of both head and heart.

Many inspirational elements contribute: the company’s long history; its DNA; the exceptional timepieces found in the Patek Philippe Museum; technical innovations; and the changing tastes of its clients. When all these elements are considered and utilized, another uniquely Patek Philippe element comes into play: the family.

The Stern family plays a crucial role in the creation of all watches, and Thierry Stern, like his father and grandfather before him, leads the creative process and the key decisions along the path of all timepiece model development. And it is here that the difference between Patek Philippe and others is most felt.

Mr Stern adheres to the principle that his instincts must always have a role in the outcome of watch design. It is here that timing, innovation and courage have primacy over rulebooks, convention and marketing. Indeed, it could be said that creative freedom and following the family’s instincts have been the single biggest influences on the distinctive collections that comprise Patek Philippe today.

For as long as Patek Philippe has been crafting fine timepieces, the company has held itself to a standard of unrivaled quality and reliability—a standard that can only be achieved through the pursuit of innovation. The company continually invests in new materials and leading-edge technologies, while preserving the tradition of ancestral watchmaking. To date, Patek Philippe has been granted over 100 patents.

While Patek Philippe has forged a legacy of groundbreaking technologies, it has never lost sight of the skilled artisans at the center of the craft. It takes years of education and apprenticeship before one can qualify to practice the art of assembling and perfecting Patek Phillippe watches.

It’s a meticulous, laborious process. After being assembled piece by piece, each watch undergoes a rigorous testing process to ensure that every element meets the company’s exacting expectations.

The commitment to precision that defines Patek Philippe shapes the output of the company. The watchmaker produces approximately 70,000 timepieces per year—a differentiating philosophy from that of many other Swiss horologists, some of which produce a million or more watches annually.

Patek Philippe embraces consistency, believing that no matter how hard its expert watchmakers work, they can only go at one speed to produce a true Patek Philippe—a timepiece that adheres to the highest of standards.

Those standards surpass even the requirements of the Geneva Seal—the quality symbol awarded to watch movements crafted in Switzerland’s second-largest city, which must meet rigorous criteria for materials, accuracy and structural integrity. In 2009, Patek Philippe launched its own quality label for mechanical watches, elevating the standard of excellence far beyond these specifications.

Patek Philippe’s production is grounded in the paramount principle that its creations will stand the test of time, functioning at the highest level well into the future.

That commitment has been upheld by the Stern family for four generations. Today, Thierry Stern, President of Patek Philippe, undertakes this responsibility personally, examining each minute repeater produced by the company—a complication that strikes unique tones for hours, quarter hours and minutes—himself.

The brand applies the same care to timepieces once they have been purchased, servicing and repairing all watches made by Patek Philippe since 1839, so that they can be passed from generation to generation.

From a basic, time-only Calatrava to the Grandmaster Chime, a single watch has never defined the Patek Philippe legacy. The company develops timepieces the way an artist or musician finds inspiration, fusing technical expertise with a creative curiosity—never limiting itself to a hero collection, unlike many of its competitors.

That creative freedom manifests in the company’s many collections, and the brand sees each distinct expression as an opportunity to innovate and cater to the distinctive tastes of customers the world over. It’s an approach that has led to some of the world’s most sought-after and recognizable men’s and ladies’ collections.

Even as the brand expands with new innovations and stylistic expressions, its commitment to integrity is constant. That principle is evident in the creation of each component of every watch, and reflects the company’s defining conviction that the crafting of a Patek Philippe timepiece is the crafting of a legacy.

Learn why perfection takes time and why at Patek Philippe, a distinctive standard is evident in every creation. The Philosophy Series invites you to explore the values and philosophies that guide Patek Philippe, in the words of its President, Thierry Stern.

View the Philosophy Series below and visit Patek Philippe to learn more.