Patek Philippe

Patek Philippe, a watch brand with international prestige

Patek Philippe watches draw their inspiration from the rich history of their creator, Antoni Norbert Patek de Prawdzik. Born on June 12, 1812 in Poland, this career soldier was forced to leave his country in the 1930s. He then transited through Germany, then settled for a time in Cahors before settling in Geneva. It was here in Switzerland that he met François Czapek, a watchmaker by trade, with whom he founded PATEK, CZAPEK & Co. The new company quickly produced 200 very high quality watches to order. In 1845, François Czapek left the company. He was replaced by Jean-Adrien Philippe, a very talented French watchmaker, and the company was renamed Patek Philippe & Cie in 1951. In the following years, the company established itself as a particularly innovative watchmaker: in 1867, it produced one of the first wristwatches in history; a year later, it caused a sensation by presenting a jewel watch equipped with a baguette movement whose dial was concealed under a large brilliant. The quality of Patek Philippe & Cie watches became renowned throughout Europe and the United States. Antoine Norbert de Patek died in 1877; Jean-Adrien Philippe in 1894. The company Patek Philippe and Co was renamed Ancienne Manufacture d'Horlogerie PATEK PHILIPPE & Co in 1901. It was bought by Charles and Jean Stern who made it an independent family business. Today, the company is still run by the 3rd and 4th generations of the Stern family: Philippe Stern, Honorary President and Thierry Stern, President.

Advanced watches with exceptional technicality

Since the 19th century, the Patek Philippe brand has been recognized for the technical quality of its watches - the House has a substantial number of patents, and is at the origin of many ingenious watchmaking systems. In 1933, Patek created the most complicated watch of its time: the Henri Graves model, commissioned by the American industrialist of the same name. 56 years later, the firm repeated the feat by presenting the watch with the most important horological complications in the world for its 150th anniversary. The mythical Star Caliber 2000 model will also be a model of technicality. Since its inception, the company has filed a total of 70 patents: - 1881: precision regulator - 1889: perpetual calendar mechanism - 1902: double chronograph - 1949: Gyromax balance wheel - 1959: mechanical watch with time zones - 1964: mechanical movement with peripheral rotor - 1985: Easter date mechanism - 1996: annual calendar - 2000: astronomical representation mechanism Thanks to this extraordinary creativity, the brand was to enjoy immense success. High watchmaking enthusiasts and professionals in the sector still praise it today for its rich history, its incredible know-how, the quality of the raw materials used and the exceptional products it offers.

Elegant and refined watches prized around the world

While technical prowess has always characterized Patek Philippe's production, the independent brand also takes meticulous care with the aesthetics of its watches, which convey strong values that are highly appreciated by collectors: tradition, watchmaking heritage, passion, beauty, emotion... Patek Philippe watches are renowned for their refinement, their luxurious yet sober lines and the quality of their mechanisms. Each year, the brand also offers limited series that are a hit with watch lovers. Patek Philippe watches are among the most renowned timepieces in the world. Several models from the House are currently highly sought after by collectors.

The Patek Philippe Nautilus Watch

The Nautilus is the most iconic model from the House of Patek Philippe. A true masterpiece of the brand, it has become over time an icon, a must have, a legend. It must be said that the brand did not embark on this adventure lightly when it called on Gérald Genta in 1976, the designer who had invented the world's most expensive steel watch a short time earlier: the Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet. Breaking with traditional codes and playing with traditional shapes and materials, Gérald Genta offered Patek Philippe a steel watch with a sublime blue dial and a distinctive feature that has since become legendary: "ears" on the sides of the case, which earned this original model the nickname "Jumbo". In the 1970s, the Nautilus accompanied an increasingly active population and enabled Patek Philippe to successfully fight against the quartz that was threatening watchmaking at the time. Today, the Nautilus still embodies the marriage between sporty lines and elegance. Its mythical case, inspired by a ship's porthole, its dial with its stamped relief and its octagonal bezel with rounded corners distinguish it at first glance from the other models of the competition. Water-resistant to 120 meters, the Nautilus is available in steel, white gold, rose gold or a two-tone version for men and women. The chic sports watch par excellence!

The Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse watch

The Ellipse d'Or model is one of the greatest successes of the Swiss brand. Yet, the collection has only 4 models. Created in 1968, it displays a rare elegance thanks to the blue color of its gold dial, its sleek design and its original geometric shape: neither quite round nor quite square, the case is the perfect fusion between a circle and rectangle. The ratio between the watch case and its length also has the particularity of being 1/1.6181. This famous "golden ratio" defines a "divine proportion" discovered in ancient times by a Greek mathematician.

The Patek Philippe Aquanaut watch

In 1997, Patek Philippe launched a second chic sports watch inspired by the Nautilus: the Aquanaut watch. With a more contemporary design than its predecessor, this model is acclaimed by all diving watch enthusiasts around the world. The design of the Aquanaut watch, combining sporty lines and elegant design, is designed by Gérald Genta, creator of the legendary Nautilus. Both references have the same oversized octagonal case that evokes a ship's porthole. Despite this similarity, the Aquanaut will form a family of watches in its own right that will in turn challenge the codes of one of the most prestigious watchmaking houses of its time. With its contemporary lines, the Aquanaut even succeeded in modernizing the image of Patek Philippe, a company that was previously renowned for its more traditional designs. At the time of its release, the Aquanaut was offered in steel and yellow gold in limited versions. The first edition models will have the same stainless steel and gold case features, but the main elements of the Aquanaut watches will remain unchanged: alternating polished and saturated finishes on the case, an octagonal bezel that is more rounded than the Nautilus, a bracelet made of a new composite material that is waterproof and resistant to ultraviolet rays, water resistance to 120 meters (12 bars), and a very precise manufacture caliber. There are now several versions, such as the Aquanaut Travel Time, the Aquanaut Chronograph and the Aquanaut Travel Time Advanced Research, an exclusive model with a white gold case that features several technical innovations.

Some other iconic watch models

The Patek Philippe Calatrava watch

The Calatrava model takes its name from the cross that the Patek Philippe brand has taken as its emblem since the late 19th century. Round and timeless, the watches of this mythical collection are sometimes available in classic models of great elegance, sometimes in more original models. The collection currently has 34 references, several of which have become icons of luxury watchmaking.

The Patek Philippe Gondolo watch

The Gondolo collection refers to Patek Philippe watches with a shape, which is to say, non-round watches. The tonneau shape is particularly used in this collection, which was named after a famous client, Gondolo & Labouriau, for whom Patek Philippe produced exclusive collections for 30 years. These iconic watch models are beautiful reinterpretations of the Art Deco spirit of the early 20th century

The Patek Philippe Twenty Four watch

Released in 1999, this modern reinterpretation of one of the models of the Gondolo collection has seduced the female gender in search of a particularly luxurious model. The Top Wesselton Pur diamonds (F color scale in France) that adorn the bezel, hour markers and bracelets make the Twenty 4 watches superb timepieces. Cresus allows you to buy or sell a second hand Patek Philippe watch all year long. In our online store you will find more than 600 second hand watches from the most famous brands of the luxury watch industry. All available models come with a two-year warranty and are delivered with a reference to ensure full traceability. Find online or in our boutiques the most emblematic models of luxury watchmaking: Nautilus, Aquanaut, Gondolo, Ellipse d'Or, etc. With Cresus, delivery is free throughout the European community. Take advantage of our offers to get the watch you've always wanted!