If you walked into a Patek Philippe retailer in 1950 or 1970 and asked for a “Calatrava,” the sales associate would look at you more sideways than a Gilbert Albert Ricochet. The term “Calatrava” was a marketing creation of the mid-1980s, coming to loosely mean a round Patek Philippe dress watch. It emerged just as … Continued
Imagine you’re a watch collector in 2000, on the hunt for the ultimate vintage Patek Philippe: a ref. 2499 perpetual calendar chronograph, made from 1951 until 1985. After an exhaustive search, you end up with a ref. 2499 from the 1960s. At about 40 years old, there’s no denying it’s a real, vintage Patek Philippe. … Continued
Some of you reading this may be lucky enough to own one, or maybe even several Patek Philippe vide-poches dishes. These beautiful, trinket dishes are released once a year as an end-of-year Holiday gift for VIP clients and friends of the brand. Each year, a dish will feature a Patek Philippe timepiece, usually a decorated … Continued
The history of the officer watch is the history of the wristwatch. The officer-style case originates from the fact that early wristwatches were originally pocket watches, or ladies’ pendant watches, that were strapped to the wrist, initially by officers during World War I. At this time, trench warfare and the use of artillery relied on … Continued
“In 2005, we decided to create a new concept of advanced research. The idea behind this concept was to show the world all the watchmaking knowledge and mastery of Patek Philippe.” Thierry Stern, President. There is nothing simple about Patek Philippe’s Advanced Research as every new revolutionary innovation that the company creates will change the … Continued
One of the most common questions Collectability receives from new Patek Philippe watch enthusiasts is, “Which Patek should I buy first?” The easy answer is a time-only Calatrava. The next question is, “Which one?” Since the arrival of the Calatrava ref. 96 in 1932, there have been many different Calatrava references, each with a myriad … Continued
Launched at the Basel Watch Fair in 1999, the ref. 5099RG immediately stood out as something of a departure for Patek Philippe. The Cabriolet case design, made of 18K white and rose gold was a master class in elegance and sophistication. This was a case that most people had never seen before; however, eagle-eyed visitors … Continued
When Patek Philippe launched the Golden Ellipse ref. 5738/1R-001 at this year’s Watches & Wonders, the company took as much pride in presenting the craftsmanship involved with the making of the new bracelet as the watch itself. It even patented the bracelet’s construction which to quote the website, “made it possible to recreate the style … Continued
As the year 2000 approached, so did speculation among the watchmaking community as to how Patek Philippe would celebrate such a momentous period in history. How could it surpass the brilliance of the Calibre 89 in just 11 relatively short years in watchmaking development terms? The company did not disappoint and unveiled one of its … Continued
As temperatures soar across the US, people are asking us what kind of watch is best to wear on a hot day? The answer is quite simple: a bracelet watch! As those of us who regularly wear leather strap watches know, sweat does not help the longevity of a strap or provide a comfortable option … Continued
1977 was a turbulent time for the mechanical watch world. Inexpensive quartz watches from Asia combined with world currency fluctuations created a perfect storm for the Swiss mechanical watch industry, a storm in which many watchmakers did not survive. However, Patek Philippe, led by Henri Stern and his son, soon-to-be-president-Philippe Stern, did not waver in … Continued
What is the difference between the Patek Philippe Ellipse and the Golden Circle? The easy answer, and probably the most common, is just to call any elliptical-shaped Patek Philippe watch an Ellipse – or to use its correct name – a Golden Ellipse. But there are differences between an Ellipse and a Golden Circle and … Continued
