December, 2022: In this interview with John Reardon, Peter Friess the curator of the Patek Philippe Museum discusses the challenge of selecting a sample of timepieces that best summarize 500 years of European horological history from the museum’s extensive and superlative collection. Read on to learn more about the careful compilation and design of this … Continued
Not a week goes by without someone asking us for a gold, mesh bracelet Patek Philippe. This is a new phenomenon. Not so long ago, people would not give a mesh bracelet watch a second look, and consequently, they were (and still are) some of the best value Patek Philippe watches. What has happened? Could … Continued
Last year, Rafal Kluziak contacted me via Instagram to share the exciting news that a new book on the life and times of Antoni Patek (Antoine Norbert de Patek) has been published in Poland. He generously sent me an early copy of the book and I used Google translate to work my way through the … Continued
The Collectability team recently returned from the Autumn Watch Auctions in Geneva, and the seasonal ‘World Cup’ of horological auctions did not disappoint. As the major auction houses presented their flagship sales and duked it out for auction supremacy, hundreds of collectors, dealers, observers, media, influencers and watch fanatics converged in Switzerland for a few … Continued
Wild inflation, the world seemingly coming to an end, Patek Philippe determined to build a new signature sports watch — this was the Fall of 1999. It was the end of the millennium, the Graves watch sold for (a mere) 11 USD million at auction, the Twenty-4 was the best-selling Patek Philippe of all time … Continued
Anyone who collects vintage watches will know that sometimes opening an original Patek Philippe box, especially from the late 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s is a messy business. It’s not uncommon for a small snowstorm of flakes from the inside lining to land unapologetically on the table or your lap. For most, this is an … Continued
Many of the world’s most gifted watchmakers have worked for Patek Philippe. A select few were part of an elite group known as the régleurs de precision or adjusters. These men and women were on a constant quest to make the most precise, mechanical timepieces. They flourished during a period when absolute time accuracy was … Continued
In this series, we will look more closely at the exceptional rare handcrafts that Patek Philippe is preserving and pioneering. There is no other watchmaker in the world that has nurtured and mastered these ancient crafts to the same level as Patek. Today, decorated watches are back in vogue, but Patek Philippe has always worked … Continued
This summer, Collectability and Analog:Shift present the largest collection of Patek Philippe electronic clocks ever assembled for public viewing in New York City. The ‘Meeting Point’ exhibition is the most significant collection of its type and redefines our understanding of quartz timekeeping. Valued at over $3 million, the collection consists of over 40 electronic clocks … Continued
From May 1 until November 6, 2022, a special exhibition highlighting the history of the art of enameling will be held at the International Museum of Horology (MIH) in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. For those of us not able to visit in person, read on as Carlos Torres gives a guided tour of this special exhibition. … Continued
When Patek Philippe introduced its 2022 collection of timepieces at the Watches and Wonders fair in Geneva last month, fans of the firm’s World Time model, an icon of 20th century design, had reason to celebrate. The Geneva-based firm introduced not one, not two, but three new world timers, all of which seemed to suggest … Continued
