Patek Philippe Watches

No comprehensive Swiss watch reviews is complete without a mention of Patek Philippe watches. They are often cited as the best in the world. But, exactly why do Patek Philippe watches deserve such superlatives?

Patek Philippe began making watches in1839 in Geneva, Switzerland. Word of their fanatic attention to detail spread throughout Europe and the world. They quickly became a status symbol among the rich and famous with many built on a special commission.

The components and processes required to make a fine watch are demanding. Each piece must be engineered with the best material and use the correct manufacturing technology to produce a reliable movement. Patek Philippe continues to excel in every department.

Patek Philippe is probably the only watchmaker that continues to make a watch from scratch. Unlike other leading wristwatch manufacturers who sub-contract out various components to others, Patek keeps everything in-hours. Using only the best materials, their world-renowned craftsmen design and build each watch. Their staff encompasses jewelers, engineers, engravers, draftsmen and goldsmiths.

Patek Philippe’s 70 patents attest to their fame for technical innovations. The following is a brief list of some of Patek’s innovations.

1842: Jean Philippe made the first watch that could be wound and set by means of a crown – something that all mechanical watches now do.

1653: Patek Philippe is accorded Patent No. 58941, for the slipping mainspring. This invention, which is the foundation for all future self-winding mechanisms, allows for the simultaneous winding of 2 or more mainspring barrels.

1899: They patented a push-button system to trigger the minute repeater.

1925: Patek Philippe makes the world’s first perpetual calendar wristwatch that recognized and instantaneously indicates leap years.

1989: Patek made the most complicated movement ever made in their Calibre 89.

2006: Patek Philippe patented their latest invention: the world’s first watch wheel to be made in silicon for anchor escapement.

Each watch made by Patek Philippe is an individual timepiece and the company keeps meticulous records of every piece it has ever made. Patek Philippe’s attention to detail does not come quickly; it takes a long time to produce each watch. Two to four years of research and development begin each design process. Production of a watch takes a minimum of nine months with more complicated watches taking up to two years. This is followed with another six weeks to three months of testing each timepiece before it’s available for sale.

Now you know a bit more of the reason watch aficionados extol the virtues of Patek Philippe wristwatches. The owners of a Patek watch know they are wearing something of exquisite beauty with advanced technology and world’s finest craftsmanship.