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Monochrome
In 1996, Patek Philippe introduced one of the most practical complications in modern watchmaking: the Annual Calendar. First seen in the reference 5035, the mechanism automatically distinguishes between months with 30 and 31 days, requiring only one manual correction per year, at the end of February. Between the “simplicity” of a full calendar and the […]
Monochrome
Since the introduction of the annual calendar in 1996, Patek Philippe has owned this clever middle ground between simple calendars and perpetual calendars. The annual calendar complication, requiring just one correction per year, has since appeared in multiple layouts, from the classical reference 5146 to the more modern 5205, while the reference 4946 has established […]
Monochrome
Few complications are as closely associated with Patek Philippe as the World Time. Born in the 1930s and based on the invention of Louis Cottier, the system allows reading of the 24 time zones via a rotating city ring and a 24-hour disc, while local time is indicated centrally. Over the decades, Patek has refined its […]
SJX Watches
One of the top lots at Antiquorum’s Geneva auction that happens in May 2026 is the hitherto unknown and likely unique Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3700/13. It is a striking combination of yellow gold for the case and bracelet, a diamond-set bezel, and a rose gold dial with brilliant-cut diamond indices. Ordinarily a Nautilus “Jumbo” at auction would not be especially intriguing, but this one stands out for a few reasons. For one, the aesthetic is peculiar but attractive. The combination of a pink dial with diamonds on a yellow gold case is a strange one, but the watch is unexpectedly appealing. Even the small diamonds on the bezel add to the appeal. Moreover, the watch comes from the family of the original owner – and even includes the original certificate. Pink on yellow Consigned to Antiquorum by the grandson of the first owner, this Nautilus “Jumbo” is the only one of its type known and most probably unique. According to Antiquorum, the only other ref. 3700 with a special dial is the prototype with a white dial that sold at Sotheby’s about a decade ago. Notably, the watch includes its original box and more crucially, the original certificate that states the dial is “or rose, index brillants”. The certificate reveals the watch was sold in 1984 at Somazzi, a retailer in Lugano. Also included is an invoice from Gübelin from a year for an additional link. The case bears the serial number “559215”, with “215” also engraved on the flank of the beze...
Monochrome
Patek Philippe is set to captivate horology enthusiasts with its annual Rare Handcrafts exhibition, opening on April 18, 2026, at the brand’s historical Salons on Rue du Rhône in Geneva. Running through May 9, this event showcases 65 exceptional new creations – 23 dome table clocks, 10 pocket watches, and 32 wristwatches – blending centuries-old […]
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Time+Tide
This week, Patek Philippe acquires Beyer, Philipps introduces insurance, and the Horological Society of New York Gala raises over $1.6MThe post Patek Philippe acquires Beyer Chronometrie, Philipps introduces watch insurance, and the Horological Society of New York commits over $1.6M to watchmaking appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
With a history dating back 266 years, Beyer Chronometrie is the world’s oldest watch store, but not for much longer: the store has been sold to Patek Philippe and will close at the end of the year. This turn of events echoes the sale of Bucherer to Rolex three years ago. Come next year, the store with its prime location on Zurich’s posh Bahnhofstrasse will be replaced by an enlarged Patek Philippe boutique. The news was first reported by Swiss newspapers including Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ) and Tages-Anzeiger. The sale is perhaps not that surprising given the store’s longtime owner, René Beyer, passed away in 2025 without an heir. The business was passed onto Beyer’s sister, Muriel Zahn-Beyer, who has no children of her own either. According to Ms Zahn-Beyer, speaking to the NZZ, the late René Beyer already planned for the sale prior to his death, having sold a minority stake in the business to Patek Philippe in 2024. Patek Philippe and Beyer have long been partners; in fact, Beyer is also the world’s oldest Patek Philippe retailer, having started carrying the brand around 1842, just a few years after the watchmaker was established in 1839. As a consequence, Beyer was perhaps one of the watchmaker’s most significant retailers, despite having only one store. With the takeover, the multi-brand section of the Beyer store will close, while its existing Patek Philippe boutique will be enlarged. This also means a third of Beyer’s current employees will be kept o...
Deployant
Patek Philippe reopens its Singapore Service Centre at the same location in Wheelock Place. Here is a brief of the newly renovated premises. Press Release.
Fratello
How can a brand honor a watch celebrating its 50th anniversary? The easiest thing to do is to launch a homage edition of that classic. It so happens that 2026 marks the fifth decade of the illustrious Nautilus. But while every other brand could present a special 50th-anniversary model of its celebrated icon and then […] Visit The Patek Philippe Nautilus Turns 50 This Year - What Can We Expect? to read the full article.
Monochrome
It’s official: Patek Philippe is bringing its Grand Exhibition of Watch Art to Italy next year. Milan has been chosen to host the seventh edition of the Grand Exhibition and will open its doors to the public, free of charge, from 2 to 18 October 2026. Marking its seventh Grand Exhibition to date, Patek offers […]
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SJX Watches
Patek Philippe has just revealed details about the Watch Art Grand Exhibition Milan 2026, which is set to take place in October 2026. The event marks the seventh edition of the brand’s large-scale public exhibition series, and its return to Europe following the most recent instalments in Tokyo, Singapore, and New York. The biggest yet With a display area covering 2,540 square metres, the exhibition will be the largest Watch Art event organised by Patek Philippe to date. As with previous events in the series, the exhibit will feature immersive replicas of the brand’s Salon on Geneva’s Rue du Rhône, the manufacture at Plan-les-Ouates, and the Patek Philippe Museum, all constructed under the dome of the Palazzo delle Scintille, now known as CityOval. For a taste of what’s in store, the Patek Philipe website still hosts an immersive experience of the 2022 edition in Tokyo. The exhibition will showcase the brand’s entire current collection, alongside a dedicated Rare Handcrafts selection comprising dome clocks, pocket watches, and wristwatches, with around 500 pieces in total on display. Artisans will also be on hand to demonstrate techniques like miniature enamel painting, cloisonné enamel, hand engraving, wood marquetry, guilloché, and gem-setting. As is customary for Watch Art exhibitions, the Milan event will see the launch of several limited-edition watches across different segments of the collection. The 2023 Tokyo exhibition, for instance, included a Rare Ha...
SJX Watches
Sotheby’s upcoming auction in New York brings to light a pair of remarkable Patek Philippe pocket watches with double movements once owned by John Motley Morehead III (1870-1965), an American patron of the brand with exotic taste. Unknown even to Patek Philippe until now, the two watches each include a primary minute repeating base movement with a secondary movement under charismatic doré dials. Beyond their intrinsic rarity, the golden duo are significant from a historical perspective in offering a portal into early 20th-century American watch collecting, when interest began to shift from decorative to technical. The who A chemist who helped form Union Carbide, Morehead seems to have had a penchant for unusual, highly complicated watches. He also owned a triple complication with upside down “American” perpetual calendar, carillon minute repeater, and a double chronograph (as in, two separate chronographs) as well as a rattrapante but with only two seconds hands. The excellent research by Sotheby’s uncovered record of another of Morehead’s watches that was a carillon repeater with two sets of hands, like these watches, but powered by only one movement. Both double-movement watches going on the block at Sotheby’s have a primary movement with minute repeating on the back and a secondary simple movement on the front. The smaller of the two makes do with just a minute repeating base movement, while the larger watch also has a split-seconds chronograph with a minut...
Fratello
La Bazoche-Gouët is a small town in the French Loire Valley. Today, roughly 1,215 people live there. In 1815, the number of inhabitants could have been a bit higher or a bit lower, but it’s safe to say that La Bazoche-Gouët was never a bustling hub of activity. It is a beautiful spot, though. The […] Visit Who Was Jean-Adrien Philippe? The Story Of The Watchmaking Half Of Patek Philippe to read the full article.
SJX Watches
Christie’s Hong Kong returns this autumn with an extraordinary offering of rare and important Patek Philippe watches, headlined by a ref. 1518 in yellow gold. The auction is defined by two major private collections, most notably Part 2 of The Chronicle Collection - the successor to this spring’s successful first chapter. From neo-vintage rarities to heavyweight modern complications, the sale presents one of the of the most interesting Patek Philippe selections of the season. Lot 2225 – Patek Philippe Ref. 3979HJ Minute Repeater The story of Patek Philippe’s mastery of the modern minute repeater begins in 1989 with the launch of the ref. 3979 and the calibre R 27 PS. Launched to commemorate the brand’s 150th anniversary, the ref. 3979 was the brand’s first automatic minute repeater, and its first wristwatch to feature a silent centripetal governor, which was still novel at the time. According to the serial number, the present lot was the 47th ref. 3979 to be made, out of approximately 100 units produced over a nine year run. Further distinguishing the current lot is its classical enamel dial, which was a relatively uncommon configuration for this reference. The compact 33 mm yellow gold case is a love letter to classical dress watches. The case itself was made by Ateliers Rèunis, the brand’s own case maker, and was manufactured in the building that now houses the Patek Philippe museum. Today, more than 35 years after its launch, the cal. R 27 PS is still am...
Fratello
Welcome to the second semifinal in the Fratello Dress Watch Season contest, our bid to find the best dress watch of 2025. In today’s matchup, the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P takes on the Breguet Classique Souscription 2025. As we near the final, we see some of this year’s heavyweights going head-to-head. Both this Patek and […] Visit Fratello Dress Watch Season: Semifinal 2 - Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P Vs. Breguet Classique Souscription 2025 to read the full article.
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SJX Watches
Many superlatives have been ascribed to what might be the most valuable watch this fall auction season – the Patek Philippe ref. 1518 in stainless steel. Headlining Phillips’ upcoming auction in Geneva, the steel ref. 1518 is paradoxically extraordinary and ordinary all at once. As the first serially-produced perpetual calendar-chronograph wristwatch, the ref. 1518 is already a landmark Patek Philippe wristwatch, one that spawned a lineage that includes the refs. 2499, 3970, and 5970. And then there’s the ref. 1518 in steel – only four are known. The steel ref. 1518 has rarity, historical importance, and an eight-figure value; but on the wrist, this “holy grail” is compact, lightweight, and monochromatic, discreetly low-key. At a diminutive 35 mm in diameter, the ref. 1518 is small by today’s standards. The watch doesn’t look like much on the wrist from across a room; in fact, it isn’t immediately obvious to a layperson (or even a casual watch enthusiast) that the watch is worth more than most houses and vintage Ferraris. Yet the ref. 1518 in steel is appealing for many intellectual reasons: extreme rarity, historical lineage of the perpetual calendar chronograph, even sheer value. This is a trophy in many senses. Historically, the ref. 1518 was important even in its time. It was once Patek Philippe’s most complicated regular production wristwatch, and the steel ref. 1518 was likely the most expensive steel Patek Philippe when it was in the catalogue. ...
Fratello
This is the third match in the Fratello Dress Watch Season contest, our effort to identify the best new dress watch of 2025. The series continues with a beautiful and classical duo. Match three in round one sees RJ defending the Daniel Roth Extra Plat Souscription in yellow gold and Mike making his case for […] Visit Fratello Dress Watch Season: Round 1, Match 3 - Daniel Roth Extra Plat Souscription Vs. Patek Philippe Calatrava 6196P to read the full article.
Time+Tide
It's not often that Patek surprisingly announces a new model outside its ‘regular’ launch moments, like they did this week.The post New releases from Patek Philippe, Breguet, Baltic and more appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Deployant
Patek Philippe surprises us with an off season release of a new Gondolo Serata watch - with an exquisite Zebra motif. Press Release with commentary.
SJX Watches
This December at its New York auction. Sotheby’s will bring one a hitherto secret collection of complicated Patek Philippe watches to market, The Olmsted Complications Collection. Accrued by late financier Robert M. Olmsted over six decades, the collection includes watches commissioned by the most prominent American collectors of the early 20th century, including Henry Graves Jr., Thomas E. Emery, James M. Morehead III, and Elliot C. Lee, some of which were completely unknown to the public until now. An “Extra” quality observatory watch made for Henry Graves Jr. It couldn’t be better timed either, with the flagship lot being a previously undocumented Patek Philippe perpetual calendar desk clock, just months after the brand launched its modern equivalent. Better still – at least for American bidders – these watches are already stateside, avoiding the hefty import taxes levied against Switzerland. In addition to rare and exotic pocket watches, the auction also makes room for a few watches with more mainstream appeal, including a Rolex ref. 6100 with a cloisonné enamel dragon dial. The Thomas E. Emery Desk Clock The headline lot is a Patek Philippe desk clock made for one Thomas Emery – the same client who commissioned Patek Philippe’s first wrist-borne perpetual calendar in 1925. Until now there were only two publicly known Patek Philippe perpetual calendar desk clocks, those made for James Ward Packard and Henry Graves Jr. Like its siblings, Emery’s desk ...
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SJX Watches
Patek Philippe surprises with an off-season launch, the Gondolo Serata Zebra Ref. 4962/200R-010. Based on the curvaceous model launched in 2006, the Zebra features a sapphire crystal dial framed by garnets on the bezel and lugs. The dial motif replicates the cloisonné enamel dial of the Golden Ellipse ref. 5738/50G-023 from the Rare Handcrafts collection of 2022, but here the technique and material are decidedly modern. Despite the radically different look, this is an evolution of the Retrograde Perpetual Calendar ref. 6159G that has a smoked sapphire dial. Here the dial is also clear sapphire, but engraved, varnished, and then metallised to create the striking zebra motif. Initial thoughts The Gondolo Serata has been in Patek Philippe’s catalogue for almost 20 years but it never really gained prominence. Though the case shape is elegant, the dials on the earlier versions were quite plain. The Zebra is the opposite – vivid and striking – and it instantly stands out amongst Patek Philippe’s ladies offerings. The fact that the dial motif is based on the Rare Handcrafts Ellipse is a nice touch, though watch enthusiasts may be disappointed the movement is quartz. Patek Philippe presumably understands its clients and those clients probably want the convenience of a quartz movement. The sapphire dial technique, however, is interesting enough that it is likely to make its way into other models, which will be a good thing. Savannah sapphire The Gondolo Serata is a longsta...
Deployant
Patek Philippe adds the smaller, more refined Ref. 7128/1R-001 in full rose gold to the new Cubitus collection announced late last year.
Time+Tide
And not because we don't think they're good watches, or that the average person can't pull one off.The post A stainless steel Patek Philippe isn’t for you, and that’s okay appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
Time+Tide
Toys for Hospitalized Children is holding its 2025 charity luxury watch raffle, with a Patek and Cartier up for grabs.The post Win a Patek Philippe Aquanaut (or Cartier Baignoire) while supporting hospitalized kids! appeared first on Time+Tide Watches.
SJX Watches
Often behind every watch brand’s marketing and image is an overarching influence that can be subtle or explicit. For Patek Philippe, that influence reveals a long arc of intention, carried across centuries, shaped by consistency, and reinforced through a remarkable alignment between product and message. From its early days in royal courts to modern-day exhibitions in New York and Shanghai, the company has approached communication as a reflection of its philosophy. Over nearly two centuries, Patek Philippe has maintained a consistent approach to communication – measured, stable, and aligned with the brand’s long-term perspective. The manner of Patek Philippe telling its own story is perhaps as interesting as its watches. We trace the way in which Patek Philippe has communicated over time, from introducing itself to the mind of the client, to adapting to a changing world, all while remaining aligned with its values. We also examine the brand’s choices in language and imagery, looking in particular to its early references to inheritance, which evolved into the familiar campaign that continued across decades. Launched in 2025, but perhaps enjoyed by many generations to come Foundations and Royal Recognition (1839–1877) When Patek Philippe was founded in 1839, the idea of advertising a luxury watch was almost nonexistent. Most manufacturers relied on trade reputation, medals at international exhibitions, and word-of-mouth among wealthy clientele. In contrast to today,...
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