Patek Philippe – Spending Time with the Grandmaster

Our trip began at the Patek Philippe Marketing Seminar at the Tiffany Hotel

Located in the heart of Geneva’s Art District, the art nouveau style Tiffany Hotel offered the perfect setting for this intimate seminar. Hot on the heels of this year’s Baselworld fair, the seminar offered representatives from Patek Philippe’s UK retailers the opportunity to get up to speed with all the latest developments from the brand. Taking place in the refined seminar room of the hotel, the conference included detailed information on this year’s new collections.

With so many new and exciting models to choose from we were truly spoilt for choice but here are just a couple of our personal favourites;

Mens – Grand Complication – 6002G-010

The 6002G-010 Sky Moon Tourbillon is a true masterpiece. This double-faced, tourbillon wristwatch with minute repeater incorporates the signature Patek Philippe chime with two “cathedral” gongs activated by a slide piece in the case. Patek have achieved the deepest, darkest black dial using black enamel in champlevé and cloisonné finished with gold applied Roman numerals. The 44mm case is crafted in 18ct white gold and is set on a shiny black alligator strap with hand engraved fold-over clasp. The case, crowns, slide piece, hands and lugs of this watch are entirely hand-engraved. The front side dial features a perpetual calendar with retrograde date hand, hours and minutes of mean solar time, day, month, leap year apertures and moon phases. The reverse side features sidereal time, sky chart, phases and orbit of the moon.

Created by Patek Philippe’s master watchmakers, timepieces in the Grand Complication collection are arguably the most intricately complicated watches on the market today.

Ladies – Stainless Steel – Aquanaut Luce – 5067A-024

New for 2016 is the 5067A-024 updated ladies stainless steel Aquanaut Luce in “Glitter White”. The Aquanaut for ladies was originally launched in 1998 and while the classic aesthetic of this 2016 remains largely unchanged the dial and strap have been updated for a subtly glamorous style. With a quartz movement and date aperture at 3 o’clock the elegance of this timepiece lies in its simplicity. The embossed dial with gold applied numerals is encased with a bezel set with 46 diamonds totalling approximately 1ct. A “Tropical” composite strap with subtle “glitter” finish and signature aquanaut fold-over clasp complete this stunning design.

The Geneva Salon

Following the seminar we were invited to join our hosts in the Patek Philippe Geneva Salon for a hand’s on look at the new 2016 collection. One of only three Patek Philippe salons, the Geneva Salon is located on the exclusive rue du Rhône. Standing proudly at five stories high, the salon has been designed to create an intricate, welcoming atmosphere. In the entrance of the salon you are greeted by a magnificent chandelier that stretches up to the top of the first floor creating a stunning focal point in the space. The most spectacular area of the salon however, is the fully restored historical Salon, the only room in the style of Napolean the III in the whole of Geneva. Truly a sight to behold the space beautifully captures the elegant opulence of the original salon and offers clients the perfect atmosphere to begin their own Patek Philippe journey. The sales executives who take us through the collection are warm, friendly, and most importantly incredibly passionate about the Patek Philippe brand and its history.

Brasserie Lipp

Following a champagne reception in the Geneva salon it is on to dinner at Brasserie Lipp Geneve, an intricate bustling bistro in the heart of the city. Delicate scallops followed by mouth-watering steak and a taster plate of exquisite deserts is the perfect ending to a delightful day introducing the history of Patek Philippe and the new collection. And so, it is early to bed ready for our trip to the manufacture and Patek Philippe Museum.

Patek Philippe Manufacture

We were thrilled to be invited to tour the Patek Philippe manufacture which is currently home to approximately 1400 employees. The tour gives us a unique, inside look into the exquisite craftsmanship and precision that goes into each and every step in the production of a Patek Philippe timepiece. Each person we meet is so incredibly passionate about their work that it is impossible not to fall a little more in love with this historical company. Every tiny little detail is treated with the utmost importance, and it is a wonder to behold the care and attention that goes into the making of these magnificent timepieces.

One particular highlight of the manufacture is the international customer service department. We met watchmaker Frank, who has been with the company for 23 years and, it is clear, is in love with his work. Frank works in the service department restoring vintage and antique timepieces, sometimes handcrafting replacement components to ensure that no watch is returned to its owned in anything less than perfect condition. True to the company’s statement that; “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation” this highly skilled group of watchmakers are not simply servicing a watch – they are restoring a piece of history.

Patek Philippe Museum

Following our tour of the manufacture, it is on to the Patek Philippe Museum, the largest privately owned collection of watches in the world. The building houses the collection over four levels and underwent an entire remodelling and extension in 1999 to allow it to host the collection as it stands today. Opened in 2001 as a “Temple to watchmaking” Philippe Stern’s passion for timepieces is beautifully expressed in the Patek Philippe museum.

The museum hosts a collection of antique watches dating from the 16^th-19^th century in addition to the Patek Philippe Collection which includes timepieces from 1839 to the present day. With over 1000 timepieces present at any one time the collection is certainly unrivalled anywhere in the world.

The Patek Philippe museum is an incredible experience for anyone who is interested in horology and is a wonderful way to spend a day is you are visiting Geneva.

After a busy two days in Geneva, we head home to Glasgow, our minds buzzing with all we have seen and heard from this most prestigious brand. What better welcome home of course, than our very own Patek Philippe advertisement in Glasgow Airport!

We hope you enjoyed reading about our trip to Geneva with Patek Philippe! Keep up to date with our latest news on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, or send us an email us at [email protected].