When the little known Patek, Czapek & Cie first founded the now eponymous Patek Philippe in 1839, it was with scant knowledge that their humble maison on Quai de Bergues, Geneva would become a purveyor of high horology. After all, the year of their founding was likely reminiscent of our own witnessing of the first iPhones; we had taken…
When thinking about the archetype of the round Swiss watch, the first names that come to mind might very well be Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin. As the custodians of Geneva’s watchmaking tradition, influenced by the sober protestant spirit, both brands stand for subtle, understated elegance. However, beyond the design conventions dictated by the round wristwatch, Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin have in common a long, rich legacy of shaped watches. After Cartier, Monochrome brings together a (non-exhaustive) selection of shaped watches from Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin.
World Timers are among Patek Philippe’s most popular complications, with a history spanning over almost 80 years (thanks to the collaboration with Cottier). A cult status confirmed at Phillips May 2016 auction, when a rare Patek 2523/1 from 1954 achieved US$ 2.5 million. At Baselworld 2016, Patek Philippe introduced two new models featuring this practical function, the 5930 World Time Chronograph and the 5230, replacing the now iconic reference 5130. Monochrome takes a closer look at this new take on an icon.
Ever wonder how watches got their names? A few weeks ago we told you about the brand names and their origin. Today we’re going to look at the watch model names. With hundreds of past and present watches, what has been the inspiration for watchmakers and brands to call them certain names? Some are pretty …
There are many watch designs out there: from different case designs to even varying dial patterns. Aesthetics is a realm littered with the corpses of dated designs with time’s passage, while others remain as classics. Few are the designs which remain fashionable after decades of existence, and these legends of timeless design…
Today’s Spot the Watch features actor Jonah Hill and his recent appearance on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. We know Jonah Hill has a love of Rolex timepieces as we have seen him with different modes such as the Submariner and the Daytona on his wrist. We spotted a familiar brand on his wrist while watching a clip from the show on…
The Patek Philippe Nautilus shot to fame for its iconic case design and was easily one of the most expensive regular production steel watches of its time. So iconic is the poster watch combination of steel and blue dial that the Patek Philippe Nautilus remains one of the most sought after collections after more than 30 years in production.…
Patek Philippe watches in stainless steel are the hot thing among vintage collectibles. Phillips’s auction house, whose watch division is spearheaded by Bacs & Russo, has set four world records for stainless steel Patek Philippe watches over the last two years. A new find coming up in the Geneva Watch Auction: FOUR could possibly break the current record of almost $4 million. Check out that Patek Philippe Reference 1518 right here.