“We did it to set the record straight”, says Thierry Stern. Publicly displaying the range of its rare handcraft pieces had a huge impact. The exhibition was repeated the following year with no fanfare, but by 2013, the international press took notice, and the world was dazzled by the exceptional pieces crafted in the Patek workshops. In 2011, Patek decided to hold a discreet exhibition in its Salon in Geneva of its current rare handcraft pieces. Coveted by knowledgeable collectors, these pieces were rarely seen, except for a rare glimpse of one or two at the Basel Fair or a special exhibition. In the past, Patek would produce a few dozen unique watches and clocks each year which demonstrated the use of rare handcrafts at the highest levels, providing the artists with an incomparable canvas on which to practice his or her skills. Thankfully, as other watch brands re-introduced traditional decorative techniques, training programs that had been closed have re-opened, enabling the few remaining masters to pass their skills on – just in time. Patek was rewarded for its patience and commitment to rare handcrafts and over the past decade there has been a significant up-swing in the demand for highly decorated watches and clocks. The dial is intricately hand-engraved with a classic design of interlacing arabesques and spiral scrolls. 5275P is a limited edition Jump Hour made to celebrate the company’s 175th anniversary. Consequently, the most talented artisans still work at Patek Philippe where they are given the artistic freedom to push their skills to ever more extraordinary levels. Under the guidance of the Stern family, Patek Philippe continued to employ artisans and produce pieces, even if they had to be put aside until a buyer could be found. Other than Patek Philippe, all the brands abandoned what had become a niche sector of horology, resulting in only a handful of artisans left who still practiced traditional techniques like engraving or enameling.
Historically, the demand for decorated Swiss, and in particular Genevan watches, reached its peak in the nineteenth century then declined quite rapidly after the Second World War. 6002 which combines the highest level of horological innovation and engraving. The magnificent Patek Philippe Grand Master Chime ref. Today, decorated watches are back in vogue, but Patek Philippe has always worked with master craftspeople and protected their skills, without a break, for over 180 years. There is no other watchmaker in the world that has nurtured and mastered these ancient crafts to the same level as Patek. In this series, we will look more closely at the exceptional rare handcrafts that Patek Philippe is preserving and pioneering.