Guided by time

CONSIDER yourself blessed if you get to be impatient with Patek Philippe. Certainly, your finances are fortified enough to register a serious interest in one of its exquisite watches. Having said that, even if you have the means to procure a Patek Philippe, you’d likely have to wait for your turn. The brand doesn’t do quick turnovers.

Two years ago, Patek Philippe opened its largest manufacturing facility. Known as PP6, it cost CHF600 million (S$906 million) to build, and has 10 floors spanning more than 133,000 square metres. But with this bigger space, company president Thierry Stern has had to field questions from expectant collectors, many of whom believed that the plant would enable Patek Philippe to crank up its production numbers – or at least enable the company to buy more machinery and employ more watchmakers to help it to do so. 

Well, not quite. The brand’s new Philosophy Series campaign articulates the thinking behind the exacting demands and limitations that go into each Patek Philippe watch. Comprising four vignettes, the Philosophy Series takes viewers on a journey through the brand’s creation and production processes, detailed by Stern himself. 

In Only Human, for instance, he takes on the perennial burning question: Why doesn’t Patek Philippe simply make more watches to meet an insatiable global demand? The answer is rather simple. It takes years to train people to do so. For a brand that values handcrafted expertise as strongly as Patek Philippe, watch production isn’t a knob that can be turned up at will.

Likewise, the other vignettes – There Is No Star, A 100-Year Responsibility and Fast Is the Enemy – offer fascinating insights into how Patek Philippe operates. We learn why there will never be a “star” model in Patek Philippe’s repertoire. We are also privy to the weight of commitment felt by Stern as the company’s custodian. And collectors of Patek Philippe watches will be assured that Stern is unwavering when it comes to upholding quality and standards, especially when faced with the pressure of increasing demand.

While short and succinct, the Philosophy Series provides a comprehensive account of Patek Philippe’s horological values and modus operandi – shaped as much by the grand traditions of watchmaking, as they are by the people who seek to elevate the craft. Most importantly, it affirms why Patek Philippe continues to make some of the world’s most desirable watches. Like its customers, the brand doesn’t accept anything less than perfection.