Patek Philippe – Birth of a Legend
http://vsa-watches.blogspot.com/
Patek Philippe’s story
In 1839, Antoine Norbert de Patek and François Czapek founded Patek, Czapek & C° in Geneva. At the 1844 Universal Exhibition in Paris, Antoine Norbert de Patek met Jean Adrien Philippe, inventor in 1842 of a pocket watch with stem winding and hand-setting, and offered him the post of technical director as soon as Czapek’s contract ran out. In 1845, Patek Czapek & C° was dissolved, and Antoine Norbert de Patek, Jean Adrien Philippe and Vincent Gostowski founded, in Geneva, Patek & C°. In 1851, the three men changed the company’s name to Patek Philippe & C°.
1868 Creation of a key-wound watch with brass bracelet.
1887 The Calatrava Cross became the company’s registered logo.
1902 The Gondolo Chronometer name was registered.
1914-1930 Creation of grande complication and très grande complication watches, certain of which, with astronomical complications, were sold to James Ward Packard. These included the first two most complicated pieces by Patek Philippe: one, made in 1916, with 16 complications and another, made in 1927, with 10 complications.
1915 Creation of the first ladies’ wristwatch with five-minute repeater.
1925 Creation of the first ladies’ wristwatch with perpetual calendar (inspired by a pendant watch).
1933 Henry Graves Jr. purchased what was then the most complicated watch ever made by Patek Philippe. It was sold again in 1999 for $11 million.
1936 Creation of an astronomical wristwatch with perpetual calendar and retrograde date.
1940 Special order for a wristwatch with a pulsometric chronograph and world time.
1959 Creation of watches with second time zone.
1974 Creation of the Calatrava model.
1981 Launch of the Nautilus model.
1982 Creation of the Ellipse d’or model.
1989 The Calibre 89, the world’s most complicated pocket watch (33 complications), was unveiled to commemorate the company’s 150th anniversary.
1996 Launch of the self-winding wristwatch with annual date.
1997 Launch of the Aquanaut model.
2000 Launch of the Star Caliber 2000 (21 complications) to coincide with the third millennium.
2003 Unveiling of the 10 Day Tourbillon with COSC certification.
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25 comments Click to reply »
time is irrelevant …
time is irrelevant so i like to think of watches as day-to-day organizers. since there’s a “tick”, you get a steady rhythm for your life and even though you can’t hear it most of the time it’s still there. digital watches don’t tick so i don’t consider them a watch at all. sure, they keep a pace but they don’t make a rhythm!
just a dream for me …
just a dream for me maybe if i win the lottery who knows
Gentlemen, I have …
Gentlemen, I have one
really is a perfect
any idea how i …
any idea how i could work with these kinda watches?
It’s not about …
It’s not about moving back. It’s about moving forward keeping with you things of the past.
@vairaBerlin …
@vairaBerlin furthermore if we buy into your line of thinking then we should have phonographs instead id cd players or drive model a’s instead of camry …just not practixal…”moving back instead of forward seems to me absurd”-metallicas james hetfield
@vairaBerlin ..and …
@vairaBerlin ..and i addressed that i said people will always love the watch…im just saying for someone like myself who has no particular love for the watch…it doesent make sense to carry one …but i appreciate the work that goes into making on of these fine works of art…i just hate wearing them
@beswick1111 : …
@beswick1111 : that’s a pity. Watches are the keepers of the time, that’s more poetic and emotional than lots of other things. Thanks for sharing your feeling with us.
@arkee71 : there …
@arkee71 : there are a lot of things that are ‘relic’, if we listen to you. Books for example. But yet, i’m a filologist and i love the feeling of the pages between my fingers, no matter if we have e-books now. That’s the difference between humans and machines…we have a heart, feelings and capability to see the magic behind the reality.
one of my dream …
one of my dream watch .
how is your …
how is your philosophic thoughts going to help me get out of my useless job delivering stuff to ungrateful people for $10/hr to working with these beautiful tiny pieces of craftsmanship?
Here’s the scoop: …
Here’s the scoop: Whatever you give to other people (opportunity, smiles, a helping hand) comes back to you in ways and places you did not expect. If you start giving people (even trailer trash who are people too) from your soul, your soul will fill. Promise.
Nice one!
Nice one!
amazing watch
amazing watch
dreems make you …
dreems make you live !! without them you are as good as dead !! I’ll die when i get a patek !!
For the people that …
For the people that would like to own a Patek and don’t believe they can, I bought my first one at a swap meet in New Orleans. Sometimes in some of the larger shows, there will be booths that have large boxes full of wrist watches. I have found quite a few treasures over the years. My first Patek was purchased for the weight of the gold it was made from. I remember getting into my car and my hands were shaking. I immediately took it to have the strap redone, total was maybe $300.
Big Thanks from …
))
Big Thanks from Paris for sharing the video
no need for a watch …
no need for a watch anymore..with the cell phone you are reguarly updated from network with current time …so for all practical purposes the watch is obselete ..of course people will always like watches for various nostalgic or artistic reasons…but i say why bother withis cumbersome relic
if people in real …
if people in real life that know me found out im being emotional about a watch, id get laughed at for the next 10years, thats the kinda trailer trash that exists in my line of work, so i have to come here like a loser to express my feelings.
Ijust wanna share …
Ijust wanna share my thoughts.
In my life im not a nice person il be honest im not the kinda person that lights up a room with their personality, after watching this i got emotional (i choked up) which rarely happens unless its anger or frustration, im in the transport industry and i hate it, i only do it cos it pays the bills, i would LOVE to work with these people making watches or designing them, whatever, just to be a part of that environment would be like heaven. could my dream come true?
all this… to keep …
all this… to keep time…
estupendo video, …
estupendo video, obligado a ver para los amantes de la alta relojeria y seguidores de la marca
Amazing video! If …
Amazing video! If anyone was in doubt why these watches cost so much, they know now.
Swiss are by far the finest watchmakers, BUT the Japanese are catching up fast, Seiko’s Credor watches are exquisite!
I love Patek, so …
I love Patek, so much pride comes along with their intricate details. Someday I’ll have one. Someday…
Love the music…
Love the music…