Most Popular Patek Philippe Watches
ThePatek Philippe Nautilus and thePatek Philippe Calatrava are two of the brands most popular collections. Firstly, the Nautilus proves as the brands bestseller to this day since its launch in the 1970s. Designed by storied designer Gerald Génta, the Nautilus is one of the first steel sports mens watches from a Swiss luxury brand. It is so popular that the waiting time for a brand new Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 is eight years. In fact, a collector has better chances of owning a pre-owned Nautilus than getting a brand new one.
On the other hand, the Calatrava has been part of the Patek Philippe catalog since 1932. An instant classic, the Calatrava takes the Bauhaus design philosophy to produce understated elegance for each watch. As the quintessential Patek watch, the Calatrava takes its name from the Order of Calatrava. The Patek logo comes from the emblem of the order, an image stamped on the crown of Patek watches.
Patek Philippe proves its excellence in watchmaking through its complications as seen inPatek Philippe Complications and thePatek Philippe Grand Complications. These models come with various complications such as a perpetual calendar, moon phase displays, and even chimes. It may also include tourbillons as well as world time functions.
A Watch With A Lot Of Fame
It is a fact that reality and fiction often intersect, and in the case of Patek Philippe, its models have made stellar appearances in the film mecca, such as the case of the Calatrava, which is used by Ryan Gosling in his film most violent and winner at Cannes for best director: Drive.
And it is that beyond the cinema, among the holders of a Patek Philippe we find the names of Queen Victoria of England, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, Tolstoi, or Richard Warner. If we travel to the present time, we can find a Patek Philippe on the wrist of one of the most powerful presidents in the world: Vladimir Putin.
Christine Lagarde, former French finance minister, former director of the International Monetary Fund, and current president of the European Central Bank, shares the likes of the Russian president’s watches.
Patek Philippe Biography And Important Works
It shouldnât be surprising that a Patek Philippe holds the world auction record for a watch . Known for impeccable craftsmanship and some of the most complicated timepieces ever created, the brand is considered by many to be the height of fine watchmaking. Collectors simply love Patek Philippe watches.
The house was founded in Geneva in 1839 by Polish expats Antoni Patek and Franciszek Czapek. Czapek left the firm, and in 1845, Patek partnered with French watchmaker Jean Adrien Philippe. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Catering to the glitterati of Europe, the pair counted among their clients Tolstoy, Pope Pius IX and Queen Victoria, as well as Countess Koscowicz of Hungary, for whom they created the first Swiss-made wristwatch in 1868. They also had their eye on the American market and in 1851 entered an arrangement with Tiffany & Co. still in effect today.
During the Great Depression, brothers Jean and Charles Stern, who had previously supplied Patek Philippe with watch dials, bought the company, and it continues to be run by the Stern family today.
Under the Sterns, the house has developed some of its most famous models, including the Calatrava, an elegantly minimal dress watch introduced in 1932 and named for the Calatrava Cross , and the Nautilus, the brandâs first sports watch, conceived by legendary designer Gérald Genta in 1976.
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Patek Philippe & Gerald Genta
The company tapped renowned designer Gerald Genta to design a sports watch with a high-quality finish the Patek Philippe Nautilus. To this day, the watch is a benchmark when it comes to luxury sports mens watches. Much like the Royal Oak that Genta designed a few years prior, the Nautilus takes inspiration from the nautical world. It reflects the image of the portholes of transatlantic ships. The name came from Captain Nemos submarine in the novel 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. According to the stories, Genta only took five minutes to sketch the watch on a paper napkin in a restaurant.
The first model carried the reference 3700. It successfully attracted people to go back to patronizing luxury Swiss mechanical watches. To this day, it is the brands most popular collection. On the 30th anniversary of the collection, the most popular model 5711 was launched alongside the 5712 model.
Prices For The Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse: An Elegant Dress Watch
Patek Philippe surely knows its way around peculiar designs for watches. Aside from the Nautilus and the Aquanaut, you get another unique addition to your collection with the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse. Launched in 1968, the collection houses timepieces with elliptical cases. This is part of the brands continuous deviation from traditional watch shapes. The watches from this collection exudes elegance in simplicity with a well-balanced dial. Golden Ellipse watches take inspiration from the principle of the golden section discovered by ancient green mathematicians. According to the principle, the divine proportion is a ratio of 1 / 1.6181. This proportion is the basis of historys best works of art and architecture.
It has two designs available as of the moment. Firstly, a black dial with a rose gold case and a blue dial within a platinum case. But how much are these Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse watches? Brand new, you can get them around $36,000 to $40,000 USD. However, models from the 1970s and 80s can easily cost around $5,000 to $7,000 USD.
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Where Luxury Watches And Luxury Jewelry Meet
Since 1874, Piaget has been crafting luxury watches and luxury jewelry treasures by blending a jewelers refinement with its watchmaking sophistication. Within this unique savoir-faire resides the Piaget secret to fine jewelry making. Nearly a hundred crafts performed side by side at the heart of the Manufacture give life to works of art that sparkle with diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds. Filled with emotion, Piaget high-end jewelry is a source of joy for all those who wear it.
Beyond the craftsmanship demonstrated in Piaget’s haute horlogerie creations, they also feature the thinnest cases and the purest gems. Setting the standard in the field of fine watchmaking, these pieces exude the deep elegance of the Swiss Maisons jewels. This timeless yet contemporary luxury jewelry radiates with sophistication, a perfect companion for lovers of all things refined.
About The Patek Philippe Twenty~4 Collection
Current production of Patek Philippe Twenty~4 watches can be categorized between classic Twenty~4 models in the original rectangular case, and Twenty~4 Automatic models with round cases.
TWENTY~4 CLASSIC
Patek Philippe offers the Twenty~4 models in stainless steel and rose gold. They sport 25.1 x 30 mm rectangular cases, set with 36 diamonds on the right and left brancards. Current models come with gray and blue sunburst dials with luminous trapezoidal indices and Arabic hour markers, but older models have been offered with a choice of black, white, blue, or gray dials with diamond hour markers and VI and XII Roman numerals.
Todays models come with a polished metal bracelet secured with a fold over clasp bearing the Calatrava cross. This version of the Twenty~4 has been powered by the Caliber E15, a high-precision quartz movement made with the same high standards that Patek gives its mechanical movements.
TWENTY~4 AUTOMATIC
The latest addition to the Twenty~4 collection are the Automatic models, whose round case and self-winding movements set them apart from the original Twenty~4s. These feature 36mm cases in stainless steel or rose gold, with 160 diamonds all over the bezel.
There are more dial options offered for this collection, ranging from classic gray and blue, to more eye-catching brown, olive green, and satin-finished dials. Their easily legible dials feature applied Arabic numerals for all hour markers, and a date aperture at 6 oclock.
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Prices For The Patek Philippe Grand Complications: Innovation At Its Finest
Taking complications up a notch, thePatek Philippe Grand Complications collection comes with the best of Patek Philippe. This collection carries the pride of the brand when it comes to engineering and design. You can find various complications like a perpetual calendar and even a sky chart right around your wrist.
So how much is a Patek Philippe Grand Complications watch? It makes complete sense how the most expensive Patek Philippe watch sold at $31 million USD at a charity auction. That watch had 20 stunning complications. The watches from the Grand Complications collection can cost more than $90,000 USD at the least. However, watches with minute repeaters and perpetual calendars inevitably cost more. Their prices range from $180,000 to $590,000 USD.
Prices For The Patek Philippe Complications: An Exquisite Timepiece
Patek Philippe does watchmaking in its highest form. To demonstrate that, the brand launched thePatek Philippe Complications collection. A complication refers to the additional capabilities of a watch beyond just telling the time and date. Among these include chronographs, annual calendars, moon phase, as well as world time displays. In addition to this, Patek makes sure that each timepiece comes with exquisite designs. Thus, the Complications collection.
The Patek Philippe Complications collection spans quite a huge range when it comes to prices. A Complications watch with a moon phase indicator or an annual calendar can cost about $35,000 to $48,000 USD. Meanwhile, you would need to spend somewhere north of $50,000 USD for a watch with a World Time complication.
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Patek Philippe Ref 7122
The Patek Philippe Ref. 7122 takes its inspiration from the classic Calatrava watch from 1932. Sober, elegant, and unmistakably grown-up in style, this is a serious watch for serious women. The white lacquered dial is gloriously uncluttered: free of distracting complications, the shiny gold of the hour markers seems to glow even more vibrantly. The stylish grey guilloché dial and a diamond-set bezel prove the perfect partners to the 33mm white gold case and the refined matte white alligator skin strap. An open caseback treats you to a peak at the watchs inner workings.
A Brief History Of The Patek Philippe Twenty~4
Patek Philippe has a long history of creating watches for women. The first watches registered to it sales archives way back in 1839 were sold to a certain Madame Goscinska. Their first wristwatch was also commissioned by Countess Koscewicz of Hungary in 1868. In 1916, Patek also made horological history by making the first complicated wristwatch for women a five-minute repeater specifically developed for a womans wrist.
Since then, the manufacture has developed many ladies watches within its existing collections from the Calatrava and Golden Ellipse, to the Nautilus and Aquanaut. However, it was only in 1999, before the start of the new millennium, that Patek created their first collection dedicated exclusively for women the Twenty~4.
1999: Beginnings of the Twenty~4
Made for the contemporary woman, the Twenty~4 was designed with versatility in mind. Patek wanted to create a watch that could accompany women all day long , from work to play.
The Twenty~4 went back to basics with a rectangular construction, inspired by the articulated manchette-style bracelets that were all the rage during the Art Deco period.
True to its day-to-night mantra, the first batch of Twenty~4 watches came in stainless steel, made more elegant with brilliant-cut diamonds on the brancards.
They were also offered in versatile dial colors – Forever Black, Eternal Grey, and Timeless White each with Roman numerals at 12 and 6 oclock, with the remaining hours marked by diamonds.
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New And Used Patek Philippe Twenty~4 Watches Buying Guide
A relatively young watch collection by todays standards, the Patek Philippe Twenty~4 watch line for women has become a true phenomenon for the brand. Born first as a quartz-powered watch in 1999 and reinvented in 2018 as an automatic in an all-new case, the Twenty~4 is an instant icon in womens watches.
Patek Philippe: A House Of Innovations
Aside from inventing the vital crown, Patek Philippe has other inventions under its name. In 1902, the company was the first to patent a double chronograph. Then more than two decades later in 1925, Patek Philippe launched the very first wristwatch that had a perpetual calendar complication.
Patek Philippe also continues to innovate its own. Case in point, the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5740. This model is the first Nautilus to have a grand complication. Its also the thinnest perpetual calendar the brand has ever made. The company also launched the Perpetual Calendar Chronograph 5270P. It came with a manual-winding chronograph movement ch29-535. This is the first-ever in-house chronograph movement by Patek with six patents.
That said, the brand holds various patents that forever changed watchmaking. One of those is the Gyromax. This Patek Philippes trade name for the adjustable mass on a balance wheel. Instead of using screws to manage weight on the wheel, the Gyromax does the job. It has turnable weights recessed into the top of the rim. With this design, the diameter of the balance can be increased for bigger inertia and less air resistance.
Patek Philippe is also responsible for the creation of the Silinvar. Its a silicon-based material used on escape wheels. Based on mono-crystalline silicon, the Silinvar allows resistance to temperature changes from -10 to +60 degrees Celsius. The name comes from the words silicon and invariable.
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How Much Is A Patek Philippe Watch
Patek Philippe is a Swiss luxury brand that has a steady line of impeccable watches. With that, the brands watches do cost a lot more than other watch manufacturers. Take a glance at the most expensive and cheapest Patek Philippe watches below.
| Model | ||
| Minute Repeater Perpetual Calendar Moon Phase Rose Gold | Calibre R 27 PS QR LU, self-winding, mechanical movement | |
| Patek Philippe World Time | World Time Day/night display Platinum | Caliber 240 HU, self-winding, mechanical movement |
| Patek Philippe Gondolo | Barrel-Shaped Diamond Studs Rose Gold | Caliber 2521 REC, mechanical manually wound movement |
| Patek Philippe Nautilus Chronograph | Chronograph Second Time Zone Day/Night Display Stainless Steel | Caliber CH 28520 C FUS, self-winding, mechanical movement |
| Patek Philippe Nautilus Date | Caliber 26330 S C, self-winding, mechanical movement | |
| Patek Philippe Aquanaut Date | Caliber 324 S C, self-winding, mechanical movement | |
| Patek Philippe Calatrava Date | Caliber 324 S C, self-winding, mechanical movement | |
| Patek Philippe Calatrava Small Seconds | $16,100 USD | Caliber 215 PS, manually wound mechanical movement |
| Patek Philippe Twenty-4 Diamonds | ||
| Caliber 16 250, manually wound mechanical movement |
Patek Philippe: The Epitome Of Haute Horlogerie
There are only a few Swiss manufacturers that werent subsidized as a result of the Quartz Crisis from the late 1960s to the 1970s, and Patek Philippe is one of them. Patek Philippe remains an independent manufacturer one of the few Genevan watch companies that remain as such. Adding up to the brands unyielding reputation is the fact that its still family-owned from its establishment to this day. This, combined with the brands reputation for crafting only exquisite Swiss watches, a Patek Philippe watch is every collectors crowning piece whether its aPatek Philippe Nautilus or aPatek Philippe Calatrava. While a Patek can cost over $200,000 USD, its resale value grows every year. With that, Patek Philippe watches make great investments for their lasting and growing value.
Patek Philippe also boasts movements as well as other watch components made in-house. The brand builds almost 100% of its watch components. Moreover, the brand has about 200 models in its catalog, offering classic designs that show innovative complications instead of a showy aesthetic. Case in point: thePatek Philippe Complications and thePatek Philippe Grand Complications collections. Just like other watch manufacturers, finding a steel Patek watch is not far off. However, Patek Philippe has more platinum and gold watches for men and women as compared to other manufacturers. Gold watches from the brand come in either white, yellow, or rose gold.
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Patek Philippe: Everybodys Dream Watch
Theres no doubt why Patek Philippe is a top dog when it comes to Swiss luxury watches. From its heritage as a brand that survived the Quartz crisis as an independent, family-owned business to the quality of its watches Patek Philippe displays excellence in all forms over the years. The brand also comes up with designs that cater to every style without sacrificing the quality of its timepieces. Truly, these Swiss watches will continue to transcend time with their designs and horological advancements that no other brand can beat.
Patek Philippe Ref 7000r
Few complications are quite so cherished in the Patek Philippe collection as the minute repeater. And for good reason. But while the brand has released multiple minute repeaters for men over the years, it took it until 2011 to finally decide women deserved a slice of the pie too. But given the beauty of the 7000R, well forgive them. Featuring a 33.7mm rose gold case, a beautifully finished caliber R 27 PS movement with 342 components, an ornately detailed ivory dial, and a sound that hodinkee.com claims to be a favorite with the watchmakers at Patek Philippe, its an outstanding example of what makes the minute repeater so desirable.
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The Henry Graves Supercomplication Watch
The story of how the Henry Graves Supercomplication came to be was rooted from a rivalry between two watch collectors. Henry Graves Jr., a prominent watch collector as well as a banker, commissioned Patek Philippe to outshine James Ward Packard and his collection of commissioned pocket watches. At the time, Packard boasted a dozen Patek Philippe watches with complications. He collected these watches over the span of 25 years.
Patek Philippe ultimately ended this rivalry by creating the Henry Graves Supercomplication. For three years, the company researched and developed the Supercomplication. Then, it underwent five whole years of manufacturing. Its byproduct is an 18K gold watch with 24 complications and a whopping 920 individual components.
The watch comes with the typical hours, minutes, and seconds function as well as a chronograph. With that, it has a split-seconds timer, a 30-minute recorder, and a 12-hour recorder. It also comes with a perpetual calendar with an indicator of the days of the month and week, months, a star chart, and even the age and phases of the moon. Moreover, it includes an indicator of sunset and sunrise and the equation of time. Furthermore, the astonishing watch has chime functions like a grande and petite sonnerie, a minute-repeater, and of course, an alarm.
