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Patek Philippe

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Watch collectors are a curious breed. Once bitten, it’s hard to let go. We have an unrelenting thirst for information. Who makes the most finely crafted watches? Who makes their own movements and who uses “off-the-shelf” movements? How many units were made of this model or that? It’s the never-ending quest for details, facts, history, and lore that drive collectors to keep learning and keep collecting. At their best, online communities like ThePuristS.com give an opportunity for experts and newcomers alike to exchange opinions, confirm rumors, demystify folklore, and gain knowledge all over the world. But the ultimate source of information and knowledge is almost always the watch company. The opportunity to visit a watch manufacturer and have its executives open up their doors is one of the most exciting events a watch collector can ever experience. But when the company in question is Patek Philippe, the experience is truly unforgettable. Patek Philippe is a very special brand in the hearts and minds of watch collectors. Over many decades, they have consistently produced the finest watches the world has ever seen and are all but unanimously agreed to be the most prestigious of all brands. Their often astronomical auction results speak for themselves. For over a year Thomas Mao (founder of ThePuristS.com) and I had been working with Patek Philippe to bring a small group of collectors to Geneva to visit their workshops and see firsthand how their watches are made. Working closely with Jasmina Steele, Patek Philippe’s Director of Public Relations, we decided to limit the trip to twenty people so that the we would be able to visit the many areas of the Patek Philippe manufactory with minimal disruption to their operations. Of course, allowing 20 watch obsessed collectors and enthusiasts to walk through the workshops, and not just look from a distance, but stand over the watchmakers and technicians and ask questions, would certainly have an impact on their work flow. Nevertheless, Patek Philippe graciously extended an invitation for us to enjoy a two-day visit. On the appointed date, the 20 converged from all around the world for this visit, traveling from Singapore, UK, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Germany, France, and the US. For some it was their first trip to Geneva and for some their first trip to Europe. Geneva greeted us with cool but sunny and beautiful weather. When we arrived at the headquarters of Patek Philippe we were greeted by the delightful Jasmina Steele, head of PR. The headquarters is a beautifully modern building with a giant abstract coiled spring sculpture in front leading into a towering reception area. The reception area is decorated with a large wall relief of an elaborate watch mechanism (the famous Cal. 89 in fact) built into one wall and an airy sculptural clock by Jean Kazes on the other. Our group was escorted to a large conference center and, after a short film about the history of the company, we were joined by Mr. Philippe Stern, President of Patek Philippe, whose family has owned the company since 1932. He spoke eloquently of his vision, the company’s independence, and its future. He then graciously answered questions from the group about plans for succession, his favorite models and, of course, what watch he was wearing. Following the question and answer period, we presented Mr. Stern with a bottle of Chateau Margaux as a token of our appreciation. Philippe Stern and the highly acclaimed 1990 vintage of First Growth Ch. Margaux The Tour The first part of the tour took us to the workshops for After Sales Service (repairs and restorations), located in the main building. In these facilities are watchmakers, as well as experts in case repair and polishing, bracelet reconstruction, diamond setting, and numerous other skills, collectively responsible for servicing and bringing back to life Patek Philippe watches, regardless of how old or in need of care they might be. While parts are stocked for models going back decades, any watch can be repaired, even if it requires a part to be manufactured for a single customer. During our visit we saw replacement parts being made, cases being refinished and reworked, dials being restored and even a thirty year old gold mesh bracelet being rewoven and resoldered by hand. Considering the hours of labor often required of one or more highly skilled craftspersons, it is understandable that such work comes at a price. We also saw diamonds being reset by a skilled gemologist. Our next stop was the Movement Manufacturing workshop in which plates and bridges are made. This was one of the most fascinating areas, with modern manufacturing methods employing computer controlled equipment to cut and shape the raw material combined with traditional and time consuming methods for hand finishing the parts. Some highly specialized machinery, which has been in use for decades, is still being used and maintained because it is still the most effective way of doing the job. The large machining equipment performs hundreds of operations on a single part such as a baseplate, using a dozen tools that are automatically changed to create different size holes, shape the parts and perform other operations. This precision process produces more accurate parts than could ever be made by hand and produces them much more rapidly, as well. The resulting parts make for a more accurate movement thanks to the tighter tolerances. Once the baseplates and bridges have taken their rough shape, they are then finished by hand, in much the same way as has been done for centuries. For instance, boxwood impregnated with a top secret polishing compound is used to create the Geneva stripes. While it is possible to do this with modern machinery, Patek Philippe applies the finishing in the same way they have done for decades. This takes extra time and extraordinary skills as the boxwood laps change thickness and consistency during use, not to mention the fact that boxwood is slow-growing and difficult to find. While such manually executed finish is much more laborious to implement, the result is an individualized piece which is as much a unique piece of art as a product of industrial manufacturing. Pinions and wheels are also finished in this area. Every tooth of each gear is individually polished by hand, using pearwood discs, the traditional method. Like the manual application of decoration to the plate, this technique also requires great skill and requires a precise feel. The wooden disc is moved downward on the pinion by hand. Pressing even a little too hard or leaving the disc on the piece just a second too long ruins the part. But if done correctly, the process results in superior polished surfaces that cannot be easily achieved by any other means. The perfectly polished teeth of the gears insure a smoother transmission of power and greater running consistency, especially in the long term. The non-functional surfaces of the pinions are also polished with bell metal, a loving, laborious, decorative touch. One of the most interesting areas, rarely seen by the the public, was the workshop in which the Haute Horlogerie Complications are assembled. It is an exciting experience to hold pieces such as the Star Caliber in one’s hands and see some of these masterpieces in a partially assembled state. These works of art are constructed by some of the most highly skilled watchmakers in the world. Some of the highly specialized equipment in the complications workshop included a watchmaker’s bench in an ionized hood, used to insure the immaculately dust free environment necessary for the assembly of the Ref. 5102 Celestial and the Ref. 5002 Sky Moon Tourbillon. Another high-tech novelty in this area was a sound-proof box with a microphone inside for measuring and recording every aspect of the sound of striking watches. Careful analysis of the data gathered in such a scientific manner will guarantee that Patek Philippe’s repeaters continue to excel and deliver the most pleasing tones possible. Upon completing the tour of the main building we traveled to a second Patek Philippe facility that manufactures the cases and bracelets. This site, located in the Geneva suburbs, has rarely been made available to outside visitors. Within the facility are stored the most precious of metals and jewels for the cases and bracelets. Cases and bracelets are made using progressive stamping tools that send a blank of metal through a sequence of operations that form the parts. After stamping, all the elements of the case and bracelet are machined on numerically controlled CNC machines. After these operations are complete, the components are ready to be individually polished by hand to the exacting standards and high finish for which Patek Philippe is known. The tools required for this kind of process are extremely expensive. Each case is stamped out of sheets of raw material, and formed in a series of steps using extremely high pressure. Once it leaves the stamping/pressing process, the outside of the case is nearly complete. This means that the amount of milling/turning/grinding required after the stamping process is lower - which leads to a high material quality. Given the softness of many precious metals this is the optimum forming and finishing technique, but also more expensive than alternative methods. To create complex decorations on some timepieces, particularly pocket watches, a decorative engraving machine from 1913 is still in use. A type of engine turning machine, it uses a pantograph mechanism to transfer the design from a large disc onto the small watch back area. Turning a hand-powered crank activates a cutting tool that performs the operation. It’s a simple process to describe, but great skill in the set-up and operation is required to get good results. We also observed at work the highly skilled craftsman that fits the hinged backs to the cases. He takes an extraordinary amount of time with each piece to be sure the back closes with a perfect “snap”. It needs to both feel and sound just right. This attention to detail is not something that can be achieved automatically. This technician told us that this is one of his specialties and that he ensures every watch he adjusts meets his exacting standards before it leaves his hands. He has personally developed some of the hand tools he uses to make the adjustments, another indication of an intense dedication to excellence. Many of the Patek Philippe cases, particularly women’s models, are decorated with diamonds. The Patek Philippe gemologists spend hours matching and setting diamonds in cases. The jewellery department is like a small workshop of its own and it is awe inspiring to see the employees working in the tradition of small independent goldsmiths in an atelier rather than as one usually imagines factory workers. Our tour of the Patek Philippe facilities gave us an opportunity to see nearly all areas of the manufactory, from the fabrication of the pinions to the assembly of the most intricate complications. We had the rare opportunity to chat with the employees, ask questions, and ultimately gain a deeper appreciation of what goes into the creation of a Patek Philippe timepiece. Pride of workmanship, evident at every step of the manufacturing process, is taken to the extreme to ensure the highest quality of each piece made. The combination of modern manufacturing with traditional workmanship left us with a greater understanding of what goes into the creation of a Patek Philippe product and a greater appreciation for its products. Our sincere thanks are extended to Ms. Jasmina Steele for arranging such a comprehensive and fascinating tour and of course to Philippe Stern and Patek Philippe for allowing us such unique access.   Patek Philippe Discussion Forum | ThePuristS.com Home Page We welcome comments, suggestions, and corrections. Copyright December 2003 - ThePuristS.com - all rights reserved