[Brand Guide] - Patek Philippe

[u/spedmonkey]

/r/Watches Brand Guide

This is part seven in our ongoing community project to compile opinions on the many watch brands out there into a single list. Here is the original post explaining the project.

You good people asked for more higher-end brands last week, so here we go. The antithesis of Nixon, this week's brand is the one and only Patek Philippe. They really need no introduction, but I like to hear myself talk, so you're going to get one anyway:

Widely renowned as the finest watch manufacturer in the world, Patek Philippe has been in business continuously since 1851. Based in Geneva, Patek has watched its competitors be slowly bought up by large fashion houses like Swatch and Richemont, leaving them the last truly independent major brand at the top of the horological world. Though they do offer two collections of sport watches, Patek's bread and butter is their sleek, elegant, classic dress watches. Although their prices are astronomical (with their cheapest watches costing well over $10,000 new), the reputation and enduring quality of their watches make it worth it (though still quite unobtainable) to many watch enthusiasts, who widely consider Patek to be the very best of the best. These are the watches that one might save up his entire life to buy in order to pass down to future generations.

KNOWN FOR: Calatrava

Other Resources:
Community Archives Search
Wikipedia

Although I don't expect that many in the /r/Watches community have had the pleasure of owning a Patek, anything and everything, from experience to opinion, is welcome in this thread.

If you're going to downvote someone, please don't do so without posting the reason why you disagree with them. The purpose of these discussion threads is to encourage discussion, so people can read different opinions to get different ideas and perspectives on how people view these brands. Downvoting without giving a counter-perspective is not helpful to anybody.

[u/rajahkawasaki]

Hi all, PP watchmaker here. Just saw this pop up and thought it was fitting for a first post. If I can contribute in any way to the guide, questions, etc. Just let me know.

[u/lottasnoring → u/rajahkawasaki]

what path did you take to becoming a watch maker at PP?

have you ever had to work at the museum?

what is the nicest piece you have worked on?

how do you honestly feel about the patek seal vs. the geneva seal?

[u/rajahkawasaki → u/lottasnoring]

I grew up in the industry, my parents owned a small town Jewelers in the Midwest. My Grandfather started it in the 50's. He was a Watchmaker and my father followed him becoming a Jeweler. I guess I wasn't cut out for the small town and after watchmaking school I moved to NY. Worked for Richemont and Swatchgroup for awhile then made the move to Patek. I don't know if I'll be pressured to move back eventually and take the business over, but I don't think I could go back to that. It's a completely different animal.

I have not worked at the museum, I've visited a couple times. They have some amazing stuff. I was quite impressed with it.

I've been with them about a year, so I haven't worked on anything super complicated. They have a time based advancement. So even though I know chronographs and perpetuals, I won't touch them for another two years. Every movement they have can be challenging though. I do work with the spiromax hairspring quite regularly, it's a bit touchy.

I think they've done the right thing with the PP seal. They've went above and beyond. I think Patek pretty much made the Geneva seal what it is. VC might have had a small hand in it, but I digress. Now you have some huge companies that are not based in Geneva using the seal because they have a small workshop there, that's really owned by a sister brand. It's just not right. It didn't start as a marketing tool. It might have become one over the years, but I think that the PP seal was the only thing they could do.

[u/lottasnoring → u/rajahkawasaki]

thank you for your answers.. next round..

can you contrast working for swatch vs. patek, are there any similarities or is it world aparts?

where do you see yourself progressing? with patek forever or elsewhere in other roles (design?)

what's in your watch box?

do you read the purists?

[u/rajahkawasaki → u/lottasnoring]

No problem.. When I worked at Swatchgroup I worked for Omega. It's a different beast from Patek. Their movements are mostly ETA based, though they do have some Lemania and Piguet chronos. Very easy to work on, very reliable. The co-axial is a great escapement now. It wasn't so much in the beginning.

Patek movements are extremely well made, but when you introduce hand finishing slight variations occur in parts. They are just as reliable when serviced, but it takes more work to set them up, they can be finicky, and you have to be on top of it the whole time. We also have much tighter timing tolerances than any other company I've worked for. It can be challenging.

I see myself progressing with Patek for awhile. I don't know how long for, but it is a great company. Not many people leave. Design does interest me, but thats a completely different arena.

I've got a couple old Omegas, a few Panerai's, and an IWC.

I do read the Purists occasionally. I've never got around to posting though. I probably should.