Patek Philippe’s new watches
With a watch like the Patek
Philippe Calatrava, Aquanaut, Nautilus or Twenty-4 on your
wrist who needs jewellery? Take the exquisite Calatrava, a round
watch of classic proportions and a rippling dial of creamy lacquer,
elegantly slim gold case and tapered hands. The sprinkling of
pretty diamonds will leave you wanting for no more sparkle.
Available in different gold tones it is the most discreet way to
wear something very, very special.
Slim enough to slip under your cuff offering a beguiling shimmer
of diamonds, like all Patek Philippe watches, it is all about
details. "Where others would stop, is where we start," is how the
house describe their attention to detail. And not just a pretty
face, these watches are beautiful inside with mechanical movements
that will keep ticking for decades to come.
New models include the Aquanaut in an elegantly cool slate grey
colour and a Nautilus Luce in chocolate hues with a warm rose gold
case as well as new colours for the ever elegant Twenty-4.
The watches are beautiful but it is worth knowing what makes
them so special. Patek Philippe is not only one of the most
successful high-end Swiss watch brand but also one of the
best-known luxury brands. Record auction prices confirm its
enduring appeal amongst the watch cognoscenti, while fresh waves of
followers dutifully add their names to waiting lists for the next
complication. At the same time, consistently attractive designs add
to the product range, including the best-selling Twenty-4 for
women. All these achievements have won the house a brand equity
that makes other watch companies green with envy.
Patek Philippe are able to stick to a rigorous ideal of making
the very best as they are still privately owned and run by father
and son, Philippe and Thierry Stern. The team runs the entire firm
controlling every step of the manufacturing process from movements
to cases and dials, and what's more, they have all the time in the
world to get it just right.
Patek's manufacturing facility in Geneva is testament to one
family's determination and independence. "We built our
manufacturing facility step by step and we never took money from a
bank," states Philippe Stern of the amazing production complex
where CNC (Computerised Numerical Control) machinery that produces
smaller component and whirr robotically away alongside a lovely
wooden engine-turning machine, lustrous with the patina of decades
of use that dates from 1913 and operated by winding the handle,
like an old-fashioned sewing machine.
The silicon based material Silinvar used in the new Patek
Philippe escapement lives alongside the centuries old craft of
decoration. The Geneva Stripes that can be glimpsed on a Patek
movement are created with a very low-tech box wood tool and a
home-made mixture which contains lavender essence. It is this
marriage of the old and new that makes Patek so fascinating. And
Philippe Stern is adamant that upping production quantities is not
their goal. While new machinery may improve and even speed up the
production of components, the box wood decorating and machine
turning respect a much more ancient pace of work. And the result as
you can see are these exceptional watches.
