timepieces Left: Patek Philippe Ref 4960 400R Diamond Ribbon Joallerie Moon Phases Right: Patek Philippe Ref 4947 Annual Calendar
Sandrine Stern, head of creation at Patek Philippe
LADIES FIRST
When it comes to choosing a watch, PATEK PHILIPPE understands that women are looking for more than just a pretty face.
“M
any people think of us as a men’s brand, but women were among the first Patek collectors,” reveals Lisa Jones, vice president of Patek Philippe USA. At its manufacture in Geneva, Switzerland, each watch made and sold by Patek Philippe is recorded in detailed archives, which show that the first three sales in 1839 were made to women. When the brand claims a lifelong relationship between women and its complicated watches, the evidence is there: Several of its impressive technical feats were accomplished with female buyers in mind. The first “tiny pocket watch,” for example, was decorated with a rose to be worn by women. Ring watches from the early 1800s were modern marvels that never sacrificed usefulness in their pursuit of beauty. In 1868, Patek Philippe produced the first Swiss wristwatch made specifically for a woman, a Hungarian countess. And in 2009 came a true breakthrough: A new in-house movement was introduced in a ladies’ timepiece rather than a men’s—almost unheard of for a Swiss watch manufacturer. As head of creation, Sandrine Stern is dedicated to the idea that the movement be developed first, and the watch designed around the movement. Luckily, the thinness of Patek Philippe’s advanced movements allow for beautifully
feminine designs—not just “sporty” styles that are merely miniaturized versions of men’s watches. In 2012 the brand introduced a perpetual calendar (automatically accounting for leap years) for women, and it also offers moon phase and World Time options. Watches are produced fully in-house, with most highly complicated watches made by a single watchmaker from start to finish. “Five to seven years ago, more women began requesting complicated watches; not a watershed, but enough that we noticed it as a growing segment of the business,” Jones explains. “Today, businesswomen, international travelers, etc. have a practical need for complications like World Time.” According to Sandrine and her husband, Patek Philippe president Thierry Stern, customer feedback directly influences watch development; they frequently meet with collectors and incorporate requests to make ever more useful timepieces. “We don’t like to design something too specific for the moment; we want to create for the future,” Sandrine says. “We always want designs to be timeless and aesthetically beautiful,” Jones adds, “but at the end of the day the most important thing is what’s inside the watch. That’s what differentiates Patek Philippe.” JILLIAN LAROCHELLE
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