THE HISTORY OF PATEK PHILIPPE FROM 1839 UNTIL TODAY...

1839-1877

The beginning of a lasting tradition

1839 Patek, Czapek & Cie is founded by Antoine Norbert de Patek and François Czapek.

1844 Jean Adrien Philippe receives a bronze medal for his keyless winding and hand-setting system at the Industrial Exposition in Paris.

1845 Patent for keyless winding and hand-setting system.

1851 The Great Exhibition takes place in London. England’s Queen Victoria is among those who admire the world’s first keyless watches.

1851 The company name becomes Patek, Philippe & Cie –Manufacturers in Geneva.

1868 Patek Philippe creates the first Swiss wristwatch, made for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary.

1878-1931 Creating a firm foundation

1881 Patent for precision regulator.

1889 Patent for perpetual calendar mechanism for pocket watches.

1902 Patent for first double chronograph.

1910 Patek Philippe creates the “Duke of Regla” Westminster chime pocket watch.

1916 Patek Philippe produces the first complicated ladies’ wristwatch with a five-minute repeater, No. 174 603.

1923 Patek Philippe sells the first split-seconds chronograph wristwatch, No. 124 824.

1925 Patek Philippe creates its first wristwatch with perpetual calendar, No. 97 975.

1927 James Ward Packard collects his Patek Philippe astronomical pocket watch, the “Packard”, No. 198 023.

1932-1949 A new beginning

1932 Brothers Jean and Charles Henri Stern invest in Patek, Philippe & Cie.

1932 Launch of the first Calatrava: Ref. 96.

1933 Patek Philippe creates the “Graves” supercomplication pocket watch, No. 198 385, for Henry Graves Jr.

1941 Patek Philippe begins regular production of perpetual calendar wristwatches (Ref. 1526 shown).

1944 Patek Philippe wins a record number of first prizes for precision in the Geneva Observatory competition.

1949 Patents for Patek Philippe Gyromax balance.

1950-1988

Investing in the future

1953 Patent for self-winding mechanism caliber 12-600at.

1956 The company makes the first all-electronic clock.

1958 Henri Stern becomes president of Patek Philippe.

1959 Patents for time-zone watches.

1962 A Patek Philippe tourbillon movement achieves the still unbeaten world timekeeping precision record for a mechanical watch, at the Geneva Observatory.

1968 Launch of the first Golden Ellipse: Ref. 3548.

1976 Launch of the first Nautilus sports watch: Ref. 3700/1 in steel.

1977 Patent for ultra-thin automatic caliber 240.

1985 Launch of the ultra-thin Ref. 3940 perpetual calendar.

1986 Patent for secular perpetual calendar with retrograde date indication.

1989-2019

A new era of mechanical supremacy

1989 Launch of the Calibre 89 to mark 150 years of Patek Philippe. With 33 complications, it has the most ever in a portable timepiece.

1993 Philippe Stern becomes president of Patek Philippe.

1993 Launch of the Gondolo collection (Ref. 5024 shown).

1996 Patent for Annual Calendar mechanism (Ref. 5035J).

1996 Patek Philippe moves into a new production facility in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva.

1997 Launch of the Aquanaut collection (1998’s Ref. 5065A shown).

1999 Launch of the first Twenty~4: Ref. 4910/10A.

2000 Launch of the Star Caliber 2000 to mark the millennium.

2001 Launch of the most complicated Patek Philippe wristwatch with a double face: the Sky Moon Tourbillon, Ref. 5002.

2001 Opening of the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva

2003 Patek Philippe introduces the 10-Day Tourbillon, Ref. 5101P.

2005 Launch of the Annual Calendar Ref. 5250 with the first escape wheel for a Swiss lever escapement made from a revolutionary new silicon-based material.

2006 Opening of the renovated rue du Rhône salons in Geneva.

2006 Patek Philippe Advanced Research: launch of the silicon-based Spiromax balance spring.

2008 Patek Philippe Advanced Research: launch of the Pulsomax silicon-based escapement.

2009 Thierry Stern becomes president of Patek Philippe.

2009 Launch of the CH 29-535 PS movement integrated into the Ladies First Chronograph.

2011 Launch of the Oscillomax ensemble incorporating the Spiromax balance spring, the Pulsomax escapement, and the GyromaxSi balance.

2011 Launch of the Ladies First Minute Repeater (Ref. 7000R).

2012 Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Dubai

2013 Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Munich

2014 The 175th anniversary is marked with a new collection of commemorative watches.

2015 Launch of the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time, Ref. 5524G.

2015 Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition in London

2016 Launch of the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime in the current collection, Ref. 6300G.

2016 Launch of the World Time Chronograph, Ref. 5930G.

2017 Patek Philippe Advanced Research: Aquanaut Travel Time Ref. 5650G.

2017 Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition in New York

2018 Launch of the World Time Minute Repeater, Ref. 5531R.

2018 Launch of the The Twenty~4 Automatic, Ref. 7300.

2019 Launch of the Alarm Travel Time, Ref. 5520P-001

2019 Launch of the Calatrava Weekly Calendar, Ref. 5212A-001

2019 Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Singapore