It shouldn’t be surprising that a Patek Philippe holds the world auction record for a watch ($31.2 million for a Patek Grandmaster Chime, sold at Christie’s). Known for impeccable craftsmanship and some of the most complicated timepieces ever created, the brand is considered by many to be the height of fine watchmaking. Collectors simply love Patek Philippe watches.
The house was founded in Geneva in 1839 by Polish expats Antoni Patek and Franciszek Czapek. Czapek left the firm, and in 1845, Patek partnered with French watchmaker Jean Adrien Philippe. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Catering to the glitterati of Europe, the pair counted among their clients Tolstoy, Pope Pius IX and Queen Victoria, as well as Countess Koscowicz of Hungary, for whom they created the first Swiss-made wristwatch in 1868. They also had their eye on the American market and in 1851 entered an arrangement with Tiffany & Co. still in effect today.
During the Great Depression, brothers Jean and Charles Stern, who had previously supplied Patek Philippe with watch dials, bought the company, and it continues to be run by the Stern family today.
Under the Sterns, the house has developed some of its most famous models, including the Calatrava, an elegantly minimal dress watch introduced in 1932 and named for the Calatrava Cross (the company’s logo since 1887), and the Nautilus, the brand’s first sports watch, conceived by legendary designer Gérald Genta in 1976.
Despite the house’s longevity, it’s rumored that it has manufactured fewer than a million Patek watches, making each one all the more coveted. (The brand's pieces are understandably attractive to counterfeiters — make sure you know how to spot a fake Patek Philippe watch.)
Find authentic Patek Philippe watches, cufflinks, bracelets and more on 1stDibs today.
Montandon Grande Sonnerie Pocket Watch
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This rare grande sonnerie quarter-hour repeating pocket watch crafted by Swiss firm Montandon is an impressive work of horology that is as handsome as ...
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Patek Philippe Silver Deck Chronometer
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This distinguished 1911 Patek Philippe naval deck chronometer showcases precision timekeeping at its finest. The timepiece almost certainly garnered second-prize honors at the presti...
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Crafted by Swiss watchmaker Alfred Lugrin, this exceptional minute repeating, triple-date chronograph is a specimen of precision timekeeping. Housed in a...
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Enamel Minute Repeater Chronograph Pocket Watch
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Patek Philippe and Tiffany & Co. Cloisonné Enamel Watch
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Redard & Co. Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Pocket Watch
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This stylish and complex perpetual calendar minute-repeating chronometer pocket watch was created by the Swiss firm of H. Redard & Co. Its...
18k Gold, Rose Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Launched in 1932, the model has become emblematic of quality craftsmanship and timeless design.
A true icon of the much-coveted category of World Time watches, this rare model represents an important milestone in the history of one of the brand's signature complications.
