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PATEK PHILIPPE<br />
Elegant and understated,<br />
ownership of a Patek Philippe<br />
has always been indicated<br />
a high social status and<br />
wealth. After the 1851 Grand<br />
Exhibition, Patek Philippe<br />
began supplying watches to<br />
Queen Victoria and her consort<br />
Prince Albert. Most famously<br />
Queen Victoria would wear<br />
a key-wound Patek Philippe<br />
pendant watch suspended<br />
from a diamond and enamel<br />
brooch. Patek Philippe’s noble<br />
clientele in the 19th Century<br />
also encompassed Pope Pius IX<br />
and the Danish king and queen<br />
Christian IX and Louise,<br />
with king of Italy Victor-<br />
Emanuel III and prince of<br />
Egypt Hussein Kamal in the<br />
early 20th Century.<br />
Whether it’s world leaders<br />
such as President Vladimir<br />
Putin, who owns a Perpetual<br />
Calendar model, billionaire<br />
businessman Bill Gates, owner<br />
of the Sky Moon Tourbillon<br />
watch worth over €1.3m, to<br />
today’s superstar celebrities<br />
such as Brad Pitt who sports<br />
a Nautilus, Patek Philippe's<br />
popularity amongst the world’s<br />
mega elite shows no sign of<br />
slowing even in times of recent<br />
global recession.<br />
Today Patek Philippe S.A.<br />
has as its main workshops at<br />
Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva with<br />
1,300 employees, including 200<br />
qualified watchmakers working<br />
on 400 state-of-the-art<br />
precision and production<br />
machines. In order to make<br />
the 17 basic calibers (15 for<br />
wristwatches and two for<br />
pocket watches) that comprise<br />
of over 15,000,000 components<br />
required each year. So intent is<br />
the company on maintaining its<br />
stance as artists, it refuses to<br />
subcontract out repair work –<br />
it must be carried out on site.<br />
Patek Philippe also have a<br />
museum originally opened in<br />
November 2001 by Philippe<br />
Stern, housing an extraordinary<br />
and unique collection of<br />
watches, musical automata<br />
and miniature enamels from<br />
the 16th Century to today,<br />
alongside an extensive library<br />
entirely dedicated to horology.<br />
Patek Philippe have 480 points<br />
of sale in 70 countries including<br />
exclusive Patek Philippe salons<br />
in Geneva, Paris and London.<br />
www.patek.com<br />
THIERRY STERN HANDED<br />
THE FIRM OVER TO SON<br />
PHILIPPE IN 2009<br />
FAR LEFT: PAINSTAKING<br />
CONSTRUCTION IN THE<br />
GENEVA FACTORY<br />
PRECIOUS TIME<br />
Atlantic<br />
Worldmaster 1888 8<br />
The over century-old d<br />
Atlantic brand<br />
offers a powerreserve<br />
version<br />
of its flagship<br />
Worldmaster 1888<br />
model in tribute to its founding year.<br />
www.atlantic-watch.pl<br />
Atlantic<br />
Worldmaster<br />
Valjoux<br />
The elegant<br />
and sporty<br />
Worldmaster<br />
Valjoux<br />
features a<br />
stunning blend of contemporary<br />
design, accuracy and rugged<br />
charm, testifying to the Atlantic<br />
watchmakers’ flair for detail.<br />
www.timetrend.pl<br />
Tag Heuer<br />
Monaco<br />
The first<br />
automatic<br />
and first<br />
square-cased<br />
chronograph.<br />
It’s associated<br />
with Steve McQueen, who wore it in<br />
the 1971 racing film Le Mans.<br />
www.tagheuer.com<br />
Breitling<br />
Transocean<br />
Equipped<br />
with high-<br />
performance<br />
01 ‘engine’, this<br />
new model is<br />
inspired by<br />
1950s and ’60s<br />
chronographs, with sleek elegant<br />
lines making for a discreet and stylish<br />
timepiece. www.breitling.com<br />
JUNE/JULY <strong>2011</strong> // WIZZ MAGAZINE 31
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