World of Patek Philippe

Anecdotes, background and insights from the world's foremost watch brand

THREE QUESTIONS FOR...

... Peter Friess, Curator of the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva

The Patek Philippe Museum is celebrating its 20th anniversary, and you’ve been its curator since 2014: which clock have you spent most time in front of?
Probably the Antide Janvier table clock in the Antique Collection: besides the time, it displays a calendar and the phases of the moon on three dials. Three Atlas figures support a glass sphere enclosing a realistic representation of the planets orbiting the sun.

Which part of the museum do you like most?
The ladies’ watches in the Patek Philippe Collection: watchmaking skills and exquisite aesthetics in the changing face of fashion show that in really good watches, the quality is determined by the movement, i.e. from the inside out, as it were.nd clients: I miss the personal contact; it’s essential!

Aesthetics in the changing face of fashion: Patek Philippe Collection

DID YOU KNOW …

... Queen Victoria wore a Patek Philippe? The pendant watch was presented to her in 1851 by Jean Adrien Philippe at the first Great Exhibition in London, and was based on Philippe’s invention of 1845, which was to revolutionise the world of watches and later become the standard for all watch brands: instead of using a key, the watch could be wound and set by means of the crown. The “Queen Victoria” is also on display at the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva.

THE SUPERLATIVERef.

5750P: Reaching perfection

If you’ve ever had the pleasure of activating a Patek Philippe minute repeater, you’re likely to remain forever enchanted by the sound. Hard to believe, but true: the most beguiling of all the Geneva manufactory’s complications was taken to another new level at the end of 2021. The Patek Philippe “Advanced Research Fortissimo” (Ref. 5750P) features a sound amplification and propagation system comprising a flexible pivoting lever, a vibrating sapphire wafer and a titanium ring with four openings. The sound is produced by two traditional gongs with hammers made of platinum. The repeater is limited to 15 pieces.