RECOMMENDED READING: How Patek Philippe became the most desirable watch brand in the world
So, this article is worth it for the image alone. Aside from the fact that Indy would never wear a 5711, it’s pretty perfect. The Patek Philippe hype is real. But beyond the sassy visuals, it’s a decent overview of the brand, its key models and how its watches are made, even if the why-they’re-in-for repair story isn’t forthcoming: I wanted to know funny stories of how watches get broken. Perhaps an oligarch got into a fight with his supermodel girlfriend and she hurled his prize Patek at a wall one morning. Maybe a rapper fell backwards off a yacht after too much Coconut Ciroc. But no such stories were forthcoming from the made men of Patek, who swear an oath of omerta every bit as serious and binding as Michael Corleone’s. Read the whole thing over at British GQ.
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Editor’s note: This year at SIHH we were treated to another look at the stunning Cartier Révélation d’une Panthère, and the 2019 version was helpfully explained to us thus: “Last year it had 900 gold beads forming the face. This year it is 650 diamonds. We had to redevelop and re-engineer everything. Diamonds and gold are not the same materials: one is heavier and the diamond is a bit thicker, which meant changing the size of the cavities in the panther head. It was a good challenge for us. The diamonds are brilliant shaped and they can move in three dimensions. We engraved cavities and developed a fluid that ensures the diamonds move slowly. The diamonds are effectively floating in the fluid and then they fall slowly into the cavities. The entire watch is filled with fluid. One of the challenges was that this fluid must also be invisible. It must be completely transparent. It took five years of development.” Impressive stuff. For more, here’s Sandra’s take on the 2018 version … Over the past decade, while earning its chops as a serious technical watchmaker, Cartier has demonstrated time and again its mastery of the artistic crafts – métiers d’art…
Editor’s note: At this point, saying Grand Seiko do exceptional dials is a bit of a cliché, but c’mon – look at this thing. It’s flat out incredible – delicate, detailed and still somehow fun. This is what Grand Seiko excel at, and this is why people love them … The foundation upon which modern Grand Seiko is built is the calibre 9S, first unveiled 20 years ago. Basel 2018 sees the Japanese brand pay tribute to this important movement with this new Grand Seiko model, the SBGH267 Vital statistics Grand Seiko’s dial and case finishes are rightly lauded for their high level of quality. But the far less visible movement is just as significant. And, if the watch is automatic, the chances are high that movement is the 9S. First introduced in 1998, this movement, with its high level of precision, lengthy power reserve and rock-solid construction, was ahead of its time for a high-volume commercial calibre. With a distinctive purple oscillating rotor in the style we’ve come to expect from Grand Seiko’s LEs, it forms the heart of this watch, which features a subtle mosaic pattern dial in Grand Seiko’s blue, as well as a completely new 39.5mm wide…
