As one of the biggest brands of Swiss watchmaking, Patek Philippe’s journey goes to about two hundred years ago.
The early 1800s were the years when all Europe affected by Napoleon. Since his politics, British Empire’s trade also decreased in Europe market. During this period, British market has a crucial role in watchmaking. When British watch market lost its dominance in watchmaking, Geneva, which is already a watch city, became a significant player in horology. In the mid-19th century, 5,000 of Geneva’s population of 25,000 were employed in the watchmaking industry. French writer Alexandre Dumas described the Geneva with these words; “… The city of luxury, golden chains, watches, wagons and horses.”
During these years, Count Norbert Antoine de Patek stepped into the watchmaking industry by starting to sell movements. Patek, who was successful in his work in the second half of the 1930s, founded Patek, Czapek & Cie in May 1939 with François Czapek, who was also a Polish immigrant. Thus, the foundations of Patek Philippe, which has been producing watches for 185 years, were laid.
“Calatrava was the name of a Spanish order of knighthood that was founded in the late 12th century. Its blazonry stands for courage, chivalry, and independence, traits inseparably associated with the knights of the era. These are also traits that Patek Philippe strives to embody.”
Antoine de Patek and François Czapek started by producing pocket watches for high society and royalty. After Patek’s death in 1844, his son Antoni Patek succeeded him, and in 1845 a new name joined the brand: watchmaker Jean Adrien Philippe. The brand, which became Patek, Philippe and Cie in 1851, produced pocket watches using the hand-wound system developed by Philippe. During these years, Czapek was mainly involved in the commercial side of the business, and Philippe was involved in the production side. The brand exhibited pocket watches at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851. Queen Victoria bought Patek, Philippe and Cie watches from that exhibition.
