Lemania was a Swiss watch manufacturer and manufacturer of watch movements .
75-558: It was founded in 1884 by Alfred Lugrin (1858-1920), who had trained at Jaeger-LeCoultre . Lugrin received awards and gold medals at exhibitions in Milan in 1906 and in Bern in 1914. Until 1930, the factory was called Lugrin SA, until Lugrin's son-in-law Marius Meylan established the firm Lemania Watch Co., based in L'Orient, Switzerland (Vaud). In 1932, Lemania, Omega and Tissot merged to form
150-548: A black rubber strap. This signature rubber strap, a first for Patek Philippe, was composed of a new composite material designed for durability and comfort. The Aquanaut collection has grown to encompass a variety of models in stainless steel, rose gold, and white gold, with additional complications like chronograph and travel time functions. The Aquanaut has become a highly successful collection for Patek Philippe, known for its blend of sportiness, luxury, and everyday wearability. Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph
225-534: A collection of ultra-thin pocket watches, including the thinnest in the world in 1907, equipped with the LeCoultre Calibre 145. The same year, French jeweller Cartier , one of Jaeger's clients, signed a contract with the Parisian watchmaker under which all Jaeger movements for a period of fifteen years would be exclusive to Cartier. The movements were produced by LeCoultre. Edmond Jaeger also acquired
300-524: A family business, Patek Philippe then had seven shareholders, five of whom formed the board of directors with J. A. Bénassy-Philippe being the chairman. Joseph E. Philippe's son later joined the company, and he was the last offspring of the founders in the business. In 1915, Albert Einstein ordered a gold pocket watch from Patek Philippe; in that year, he completed his Theory of General Relativity . The Stern family of Switzerland has owned Patek Philippe since 1932, when Charles Stern and Jean Stern acquired
375-499: A few minutes, leading London-based store owner Tyme to display in its shop window: “You won’t have time to finish your cigarette before your watch is repaired”. The Duoplan led to the creation in 1929 of the world's still-smallest mechanical movement, the Calibre 101, whose 74 original parts (98 today) weighed a total of approximately one gram. The second family of watches equipped with the Calibre 101, Joaillerie 101 Étrier appeared in
450-668: A minute-repeater shutter as a third face covering one of its two dials; the Master Grande Tradition Grande Complication is equipped with a flying tourbillon that follows the rhythm of celestial phenomena and indicates sidereal time , and a minute repeater comprising cathedral gongs; the Hybris Mechanica à Grande Sonnerie is equipped with gongs capable of playing the entire Big Ben chime; the Reverso Gyrotourbillon 2
525-664: A new company, Patek & Cie , beginning on 15 May 1845 . On 1 January 1851, the company's name was officially changed to Patek, Philippe & Cie . In the same year, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom acquired a keyless pendant watch at the Great Exhibition in London . The watch was embellished with rose-cut diamonds set in the pattern of a bouquet of flowers. The Queen had another exclusive Patek Philippe timepiece, to be worn pinned to clothing. This watch
600-495: A patented triple case back to optimise the transmission of sound under water. The latter model would go on to inspire the current Master Compressor and AMVOX lines. It was reproduced in 2008 under the name Memovox Tribute to Polaris. In honour of the International Geophysical Year in 1958, Jaeger-LeCoultre created a watch protected against magnetic fields, water and shocks. The Geophysic chronometer
675-516: A report assigning environmental ratings for 15 major watch manufacturers and jewelers in Switzerland. Patek Philippe was given the lowest environmental rating as "Latecomers/Non-transparent", suggesting the manufacturer has taken few actions addressing the impact of its manufacturing activities on the environment and climate change. Patek Philippe has invented over 20 basic calibres and has received over 100 patents. The following are some of
750-445: A subsidiary of Longines -Wittnauer, with slightly different case designs. After 1985, Jaeger-LeCoultre was adopted uniformly worldwide. According to factory records, the last movement to be used in an American LeCoultre watch was shipped out of Le Sentier in 1976. Some collectors and misinformed dealers have made the erroneous claim that American LeCoultre is not associated with Jaeger-LeCoultre Switzerland. The confusion stems from
825-478: A successor to Antoni Patek. In March 1877, Antoni Patek died at the age of 65, but his only son, Léon Mecyslas Vincent Patek, did not join the business. As a result, Joseph Antoine Bénassy-Philippe, one of Adrien Philippe's sons-in-law, succeeded to Antoni Patek's position. In 1887, the cross of one of the four Military Orders of Spain, the Order of Calatrava , became the registered company logo of Patek Philippe as
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#1732801303795900-722: A sympathetic allusion to the still-extant order of Catholic knights that fought the Muslims in the Crusades. In 1891, the 76-year-old Adrien Philippe handed over his position in the business to his youngest son, Joseph Emile Philippe, together with François Antoine Conty. Adrien Philippe died in January 1894. 1901 saw the transformation of Patek Philippe into a joint-stock company , Ancienne Manufacture d'horlogerie Patek, Philippe & Cie, Société Anonyme, initiated by J. A. Bénassy-Philippe and Joseph E. Philippe. Still being run as
975-537: A timepiece of near-perpetual movement (the Atmos clock ). Watch enthusiasts refer to the brand as the watchmaker's watchmaker. The earliest records of the LeCoultre family in Switzerland date from the 16th century, when Pierre LeCoultre (circa 1530 – circa 1600), a French Huguenot , fled to Geneva from Lizy-sur-Ourcq , France to escape religious persecution. In 1558, he obtained the status of “inhabitant” but left
1050-441: Is "You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation." The slogan was introduced when the company launched its "Generations" campaign in 1996. Patek Philippe manufactures its own watch components. Like other Swiss manufacturers, the company produces mostly mechanical movements with automatic or manual winding mechanism, but has also been producing quartz watches . In fact, Patek Philippe
1125-502: Is a major cause of environmental issues such as pollution , soil degradation and deforestation . The situation is especially serious in the developing countries which are top producers of gold, including China , Russia and South Africa . It is estimated that the watch and jewelry sector uses over 50% of world's annual gold production (over 2,000 tons), but in most cases the watch companies are not able to or are unwilling to demonstrate where their raw materials come from and if
1200-426: Is able to add a day to February for leap years while leaving out the extra day for every 100 year interval. Only four pieces of Calibre 89 were ever manufactured by Patek Philippe, with one in white gold, one in yellow gold, one in rose gold, and one in platinum. The yellow-gold and the white-gold Calibre 89 were sold at auctions by Antiquorum in 2009 and 2004, respectively, and both watches currently rank among
1275-527: Is based in Le Sentier , Switzerland . Since 2000, the company has been a fully owned subsidiary of the Swiss luxury group Richemont . Jaeger-LeCoultre is regarded as a top-tier Richemont brand. It has hundreds of inventions, patents, and more than one thousand movements to its name, including the world's smallest movement, one of the world's most complicated wristwatches (Grande Complication), and
1350-699: Is equipped with a spherical tourbillon principle, a reversible case and a cylindrical balance; the Master Compressor Extreme LAB is oil-free; the Gyrotourbillon 1 is equipped with a tourbillon evolving in three dimensions to compensate for the effects of gravity in all positions. Since 1931, Jaeger-LeCoultre has held close ties with the equestrian sports community and counts the Polo Club de Veytay as one of its partners. In 2004, Jaeger-LeCoultre teamed with Aston Martin to launch
1425-514: The Aquanaut collection , marking a departure from their traditional dress watches. The Aquanaut was designed as a luxury sports watch for a younger generation of watch enthusiasts, featuring a contemporary and sporty aesthetic alongside the refined craftsmanship that Patek Philippe is known for. The first Aquanaut model, the Ref. 5060A, was crafted from stainless steel and equipped with a black dial and
1500-641: The Great Depression smoothly. The original Calatrava Ref. 96 was in production for more than 40 years, and its successor models include Ref. 2526, Ref. 3520, Ref. 5196 and so on. Known for its simple and elegant design, the Calatrava wristwatch has been a flagship model of Patek Philippe since its introduction. Notably, the Calatrava Cross has been company's logo since 1887. Patek Philippe World Time ( Heures Universelles ) collection
1575-797: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Glory to the Filmmaker Award . Patek Philippe Patek Philippe SA ( French: [paˈtɛk fiˈlip] ) is a Swiss luxury watch and clock manufacturer , located in the Canton of Geneva and the Vallée de Joux . Established in 1839, it is named after two of its founders, Antoni Patek and Adrien Philippe . Since 1932, the company has been owned by the Stern family in Switzerland and remains
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#17328013037951650-726: The Nautilus , the first American nuclear submarine to travel between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans via the North Pole. JLC produces some complicated watches ( Grand complication ), e.g. the Master Gyrotourbillon 1 with a spherical Tourbillon . The Duomètre Sphérotourbillon is equipped with a tourbillon adjustable to the nearest second; the Reverso Répétition Minutes à Rideau is equipped with
1725-644: The SSIH group . Lemania produced movements for Omega, including for the Speedmaster that Buzz Aldrin wore on the moon. With the advent of electronic watches in the 1970s, sales of mechanical watches from the SSIH Group collapsed. In 1980, creditor banks gave Nicolas Hayek the task of restructuring the group. In the course of a management buyout, Lemania separated from the SSIH Group in 1981 and changed its name to Nouvelle Lemania. In 1992, Nouvelle Lemania
1800-425: The most expensive watches ever sold in auction . In 1989, Patek Philippe created Calibre 89 , then the most complicated mechanical watch ever made, for its 150th anniversary. Calibre 89 holds 33 complications, including the date of Easter, time of sunrise, equation of time , sidereal time , and many other indicators. 1,728 unique parts allow sidereal time , a 2,800 star chart, and more. In addition, Calibre 89
1875-532: The 1930s. In 1953, Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom wore a Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 101 wristwatch for her coronation . The Atmos Clock is a timepiece of near-perpetual movement needing no human intervention and almost no energy. Invented by Swiss engineer Jean-Léon Reutter in 1928 in Neuchâtel , the Atmos clock has been the Swiss government's official gift for important guests since 1950. Patented in 1928,
1950-595: The 1950s, when the North American distributor of LeCoultre watches was the Longines-Wittnauer Group, which also was responsible for the distribution of Vacheron Constantin timepieces. Collectors have confused this distribution channel with the manufacture of the watches. According to Jaeger-LeCoultre enthusiast Zaf Basha, the "Galaxy", an upmarket mysterious dial diamond watch, is a collaboration between Vacheron & Constantin and LeCoultre for
2025-468: The 58 world's most expensive watches sold at auction (over 2 million US dollars), with the world record being 4.027 million US dollars (6,603,500 CHF ) made at Antiquorum 's Geneva auction on April 13, 2002. In 1976, Patek Philippe introduced the Nautilus collection after deciding it was time to produce an exclusive sport watch with finishes of the highest quality. The first model was Ref. 3700 and
2100-841: The American market. It features “LeCoultre” on the front and “Vacheron & Constantin — LeCoultre” stamped on the case. Watches for ladies also bore "LeCoultre" on the front. The LeCoultre trademark expired in 1985 and was replaced by the Jaeger-LeCoultre trademark. Since Jaeger-LeCoultre's founding, the company has produced over 1,242 different calibres , registered approximately 400 patents and created hundreds of inventions. In December 2018, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) released an official report giving environmental ratings for 15 major watch manufacturers and jewelers in Switzerland . Jaeger-LeCoultre, along with 3 other manufacturers including Vacheron Constantin and Cartier ,
2175-755: The Aston Martin Jaeger-LeCoultre gentleman's watch - the AMVOX1. The design of the timepiece was inspired by a 70-year historical link between the two companies. The dashboard of the 1930s, 1.5-litre Aston Martin LM – a regular class winner in international motorsport – contained instruments created by Jaeger-LeCoultre. In October 2011, the Responsible Jewellery Council announced that Jaeger-LeCoultre had obtained certification for its commitment to human rights and for meeting
2250-690: The Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 489. In 1956, a Memovox featuring the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 815 became the first self-winding alarm watch in history, while shortly thereafter the company marked its 125th anniversary by releasing the Memovox Worldtime. In 1959, the Memovox Deep Sea was equipped with a specific alarm to remind divers to begin their ascension, and in 1965, the Memovox Polaris was released with
2325-645: The Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva . Patek Philippe is widely considered to be one of the most prestigious watch manufacturers in the world. As of July 2023, among the world's top ten most expensive watches ever sold at auctions , nine were Patek Philippe watches. In particular, Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 currently holds the title of the most expensive watch (and wristwatch) ever sold at auction (US$ 31 million/27 million CHF ), while Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication ,
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2400-623: The Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. The sale price for each of the other six pieces was 2.5 million CHF (2.6 million US dollars). In 2016, Patek Philippe introduced the Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300, succeeding the Grandmaster Chime Ref. 5175. Ref. 6300 also has 20 complications, including grande sonnerie , minute repeater , and alarm with time strike (but without tourbillon), with the sale price over 2.2 million US dollars. The purchase of each piece requires an application from
2475-640: The Vallée de Joux's first full-fledged manufacture, LeCoultre & Cie. , pooling their employees’ expertise under one roof. Under this set-up, they developed in 1870 the first partially mechanised production processes for complicated movements. By the same year, the Manufacture employed 500 people and was known as the “Grande Maison of the Vallée de Joux”, and by 1900, it had created over 350 different calibres, of which 128 were equipped with chronograph functions and 99 with repeater mechanisms. From 1902 and for
2550-647: The World Heritage Committee's priority programmes, leading to the listing of new marine sites and protection measures for the 46 sites already listed. Each year, the programme as well as the sites are featured in print and online news articles by the International Herald Tribune, thus offering increased visibility to the partnership. In addition, the company partners with the Venice Film Festival to present
2625-487: The ability to be hand wound, the calibre 497, Calibre 497 debuted with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Futurematic and was much more advanced than the earlier JLC 476 and JLC 481. It features a larger balance for improved accuracy and hacking seconds. One unique feature is a lock that holds the swinging weight in place when the mainspring is fully wound. It also features a special 6 hour power reserve, allowing
2700-419: The brand image while perpetuating tradition. The target was represented by dynamic business managers of the new generations. The Nautilus wristwatch has become one of the most popular collections from Patek Philippe, and the Ref. 5711 & 5712 models, which the company introduced in 2006 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the collection, are among the most popular models. In 1997, Patek Philippe introduced
2775-601: The clock before beginning to manufacture it in its current technological form in 1946. In 1988, the Kohler and Rekow design agency created a two-piece limited edition showcase for the clock and, in 2003, the Manufacture released the Atmos Mystérieuse, driven by the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 583 and comprising 1,460 parts. In 1951, the Manufacture released the Futurematic , the first automatic movement that lacked
2850-521: The clock with two days' autonomy. Its balance, suspended from a steel-alloy wire thinner than a hair, performs two vibrations per minute; its gearing requires no lubricant. The Atmos' gearing is known for its accuracy: the moon-phase model, for example, accumulates a one-day discrepancy only once every 3,821 years. The patents were subsequently purchased by Jaeger-LeCoultre in France 1936 and in Switzerland in 1937. The company then spent ten years perfecting
2925-567: The company announced that all of its future mechanical timepieces would be imprinted with the Patek Philippe Seal which requires a precision of -3/+2 seconds per day for diameters no less than 20 mm and -5/+4 seconds per day for diameters less than 20 mm, surpassing the highest industry standard of watch manufacturing and thus abandoning the Geneva Seal. In December 2018, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) released
3000-415: The company during the Great Depression . The Stern brothers' company, Fabrique de Cadrans Sterns Frères , had been a business partner of Patek Philippe as its supplier of watch dials. In 1935, Patek Philippe was brought to American markets by New York -based Henri Stern Watch Agency , where it was sold as a sister brand alongside Universal Genève . In 1958, Henri Stern, the son of Charles Stern, became
3075-562: The company to S Smith & Sons and in 1937 the company name was changed to British Jaeger Instruments Limited. The 1930 Bentley Speed Six also features gauges made by Jaeger and a clock by S. Smith & Sons. Due to the Smoot Hawley Tariff Act, from 1932 to approximately 1985 watches were cased in locally produced cases in North America and sold under the name LeCoultre by the company Vacheron-LeCoultre ,
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3150-415: The company was liquidated on 18 April 1845. At that point, Czapek founded Czapek & Cie on 1 May 1845 with a new partner, Juliusz Gruzewski. Subsequently, Patek was joined by French watchmaker Adrien Philippe , the inventor of the keyless winding mechanism (although this had been discovered previously by Abraham Louis Breguet but not patented by him), and continued the watchmaking business with
3225-478: The company. He initiated the publication of the twice-a-year Patek Philippe Magazine in 1996, which is reserved for the watch owners and has received contributions from various prominent writers including Nobel Laureates Gao Xingjian and José Saramago . In 2009, Philippe Stern's son, Thierry Stern, took over the reins from his father. In 2010, the company produced 40,000 timepieces and, according to Thierry Stern, it produced 58,000 pieces in 2017. In 2018,
3300-656: The course of 35 years, four series of Ref. 2499 were introduced, exerting a strong influence on the watch designs of many other renowned watchmakers. As of June 2019, Ref. 2499 holds eleven spots among the 59 world's most expensive watches sold at auction (over 2 million US dollars) and at least 18 pieces of Ref. 2499 have been auctioned for more than 1.5 million US dollars, with the world record being 3.880 million US dollars (3,915,000 CHF ) made at Sotheby's Geneva auction on November 13, 2018. The successors to Ref. 2499 include, in chronological order, Ref. 3970, Ref. 5970 and Ref. 5270. Patek Philippe Sky Moon Tourbillon wristwatch
3375-768: The ethical, social and environmental standards established by the RJC's Member Certification system. In 2012, in partnership with the Italian luxury leathergoods brand Valextra , Jaeger-LeCoultre began offering a two-tone version of its ladies’ Reverso watch. Jaeger-LeCoultre and the International Herald Tribune have joined forces with UNESCO 's World Heritage Centre in support of the World Heritage Marine Programme. The partnership provides funding and media exposure for one of
3450-587: The existing Calibre 497. Like that movement, it has a power reserve indicator at 9:00 and small seconds 3:00, but in Cal. 817 and Cal. 837 these are tiny round windows rather than being full subdials. Calibre 827 returned to the full subdial format. Calibres 817, 827, and 837 were produced from 1956 through 1958, with just 3,500 movements made. About 3,000 of Cal. 817, 1,000 of Cal. 827, and just 500 of Cal. 837 were made. Approximately 52,500 examples of Calibre 497 were produced between 1951 and 1958. It has been said that
3525-410: The first version – known today as the Atmos 1 – was marketed by La Compagnie Générale de Radiologie (CGR) in 1930. It derives energy from small temperature and atmospheric pressure changes in the environment, and can run for years without human intervention. Wound by a capsule filled with a mixture of temperature-sensitive gases, a 1 °C fluctuation is enough to store sufficient energy to supply
3600-588: The following year to acquire a plot of land in the Vallée de Joux . Over time, a small community formed and in 1612, Pierre LeCoultre's son built a church there, marking the founding of the village of Le Sentier where the company's Manufacture is still based today. In 1834, following his invention of a machine to cut watch pinions from steel, Antoine LeCoultre (1803-1881) founded a small watchmaking workshop in Le Sentier, where he honed his horological skills to create high-quality timepieces. In 1844, he invented
3675-512: The important contributions from Patek Philippe to the watchmaking industry. In 1932, Patek Philippe launched the first Calatrava model Ref. 96, which was designed by English horologist David Penney who was influenced by the Bauhaus art movement in Germany. Originally, the Stern brothers, soon after they acquired Patek Philippe in 1932, introduced the Calatrava to help the company pass through
3750-497: The last family-owned independent watch manufacturer in Geneva . Patek Philippe is one of the oldest watch manufacturers in the world with an uninterrupted watchmaking history since its founding. It designs and manufactures timepieces as well as movements , including some of the most complicated mechanical watches . The company maintains over 400 retail locations globally and over a dozen distribution centers across Asia , Europe , North America , and Oceania . In 2001, it opened
3825-549: The material suppliers use eco-friendly sourcing technologies. Its name inspired by the Latin “I turn around”, the Reverso was created in 1931 as a watch capable of surviving the hard knocks of a polo game: The origin of the watch creation is rooted in the early 1930s when a group of Polo players asked César de Trey, a watch dealer, to create a timepiece that could withstand the rigours of their sport. César de Trey followed up on
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#17328013037953900-482: The next 30 years, LeCoultre & Cie. produced most of the movement blanks for Patek Philippe of Geneva. In 1903, Paris-based watchmaker to the French Navy, Edmond Jaeger, challenged Swiss manufacturers to develop and produce the ultra-thin movements that he had invented. Jacques-David LeCoultre, Antoine's grandson who was responsible for production at LeCoultre & Cie., accepted the challenge, giving rise to
3975-566: The number went up to 62,000, and in order to maintain quality and exclusivity, Patek Philippe would only slowly increase the number of timepieces produced each year (by 1-3 percent per year) but with a ceiling. Currently , the company is an active member of the Federation of the Swiss Watch Industry FH . Since the 2000s, Patek Philippe timepieces have repeatedly fetched high prices in auctions worldwide. As of 2023, among
4050-578: The patent for the atmospherically driven clock Atmos from its inventor Jean-Léon Reutter and licensed it to LeCoultre from 1936 for France, and in 1937 for Switzerland. The collaboration between Jaeger and LeCoultre led to the company being officially renamed Jaeger-LeCoultre in 1937. Before that, LeCoultre of Switzerland and Jaeger of France also formed a company in England, Ed. Jaeger (London) Limited , in 1921 to make instruments for prestige car manufacturers. In 1927 Jaeger LeCoultre sold 75 per cent of
4125-403: The president of Patek Philippe. Alan Banbery, who previously designed Universal's "Compax" movements and worked as a horologist for London's Garrard & Co , would take on the position of Director of Sales in 1965 and later authored official reference books on vintage Patek Philippe pocket watches and chronographs . In 1993, Philippe Stern, the son of Henri Stern, became the president of
4200-404: The request with a letter to his colleague and watch manufacturer, Jacques-David LeCoultre. René-Alfred Chauvot, was a French engineer with LeCoultre, and was engaged to develop this new watchcase. Mr. Chauvot designed a reversible case that could protect the fragile dial and glass of the watch. The final design, that is still in use today, allows for the case to be swivelled in its carrier to protect
4275-482: The technical director of Etablissements Ed. Jaeger, the Duoplan was built on two levels – hence its name – enabling it to maintain a large-size balance. The Duoplan was also one of the first gem-set steel watches and, in 1929, its glass was replaced with sapphire crystal , a first in watchmaking. The Duoplan was insured by Lloyd's of London with a special after-sales service, and a damaged movement could be replaced in
4350-402: The top ten most expensive watches ever sold at auction , with final prices over 5 million US dollars. In 2014, Patek Philippe introduced the Grandmaster Chime Ref. 5175, the most complicated wristwatch ever built by the manufacturer (with 20 complications, but no tourbillon ), to celebrate its 175th anniversary. Only seven pieces of Ref. 5175 were created, with one permanently residing in
4425-405: The watch glass. The design is considered a classic of Art Deco . A list of notable watches from the Reverso line include the following: In 1925, the LeCoultre Calibre 7BF Duoplan was created in an effort to bring together miniaturisation and precision. The fashion of the period was for small wristwatches, however small calibres often suffered from a loss of reliability. Created by Henri Rodanet,
4500-401: The watch to immediately function when it is put on, rather than requiring it to be wound first. The Calibre 497 featured a power reserve indicator along with small seconds located at the unusual position of 3:00. There is no crown on either side of the case. The crown to set the time is on the rear of the case. Calibre 817 was used in the Jaeger-LeCoultre Futurematic and was a modification of
4575-594: The whole project for the Futurematic almost made the company bankrupt, as they never fully recovered their investment from sales of the Futurematic series of watches. In 1950, the Manufacture released the Memovox (portmanteau of memoria and vox , “voice of memory”), a year after the model cricket was released by Vulcain . Its striking mechanism could be used as an alarm for waking up, appointments, timetables, etc. The first models were hand wound and equipped with
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#17328013037954650-500: The world's most complicated mechanical watch until 1989, currently holds the title of the most expensive pocket watch ever sold at auction (US$ 24 million/21 million CHF ). The company traces its origins to the mid-19th century, when Polish watchmaker Antoni Patek and his Czech -born Polish business partner Franciszek Czapek formed Patek, Czapek & Cie in Geneva on 1 May 1839 and started manufacturing pocket watches . The two eventually separated due to disagreements, and
4725-520: The world's most precise measuring instrument at the time, the Millionomètre, and in 1847 he created a keyless system to rewind and set watches. Four years later, he was awarded a gold medal for his work on timepiece precision and Mechanization at the first Universal Exhibition in London . In 1866, at a time when watchmaking skills were divided up among hundreds of small workshops, Antoine and his son, Elie LeCoultre (1842-1917), established
4800-458: The world's top ten most expensive watches ever sold at auctions , nine were Patek Philippe watches. Among the top 58 most expensive watches sold at auction (over 2 million US dollars), 46 are Patek Philippe watches. A small part of the demand for auction pieces is driven by Patek Philippe themselves, as they are purchasing in the auction market to add to the collection of the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. One of Patek Philippe's company slogans
4875-404: Was auctioned in 2023 by the descendants of Adrien Philippe. The watch was purchased most probably by the Patek Philippe Museum though this is not confirmed and may be owned by a private collector. The wedding between Louise Philippe and Joseph Antoine Bénassy where the watch was presented is noted as the wedding that helped Patek Philippe survive the founding generation by providing the company with
4950-460: Was bought by Breguet . The Lemania calibers are still used today in watches of numerous well-known brands. Jaeger-LeCoultre 46°36′46″N 6°14′12″E / 46.61279°N 6.23678°E / 46.61279; 6.23678 Manufacture Jaeger-LeCoultre SA , or simply Jaeger-LeCoultre ( French pronunciation: [ʒeʒɛʁ ləkultʁ] ), is a Swiss luxury watch and clock manufacturer founded by Antoine LeCoultre in 1833 and
5025-404: Was given an average environmental rating as "Upper Midfield", suggesting that the manufacturer has taken first actions addressing the impact of its manufacturing activities on the environment and climate change . In jewelry and watchmaking industry, there are general concerns over the lack of transparency in manufacturing activities and the sourcing of precious raw materials such as gold , which
5100-622: Was introduced in 1939, with Ref.1415 being the first model. The "World Time" complication is able to show the time for all 24 time zones on the same watch and was invented by Swiss watchmaker Louis Cottier in 1931. Cottier's invention attracted several watchmaking companies, while Patek Philippe was the first company to introduce a series of World Time wristwatches after forging a partnership with Mr. Cottier. The successors to Ref. 1415 include Ref. 2523, Ref. 5230, Ref. 5531 (with minute repeater ), and so on. As of 2018, Patek Philippe World Time collection (Ref. 1415, Ref. 2523) holds 6 spots among
5175-512: Was introduced in 1941, with Ref. 1518 being the first model. On November 12, 2016, a Ref. 1518 in steel became the most expensive wristwatch ever sold at auction (until October 2017), fetching a record-breaking US$ 11.14 million (11,002,000 CHF ) in Geneva (through Phillips ' auction house). As the successor, Ref. 2499 is widely considered to be one of the greatest watch models in the world. Historically, only 349 pieces of Ref. 2499 were made from 1950 to 1985 - around 9 pieces each year. Over
5250-463: Was introduced in 2001, with Ref. 5002 being the first model. The wristwatch has two dials and contains 12 complications including tourbillon , minute repeater , sky chart, and moon phase & orbit. In 2013, the company introduced the second model of Sky Moon Tourbillon, Ref. 6002, also with 12 complications. The new model took 7 years of research and development, while the engraving on each piece alone took more than 100 hours. Sky Moon Tourbillon
5325-538: Was made of steel. It was designed by Swiss watchmaker Gérald Genta , who previously designed the Royal Oak collection for Audemars Piguet , and was released by Patek Philippe during the quartz crisis in the hope that it would help re-attract people's attention to high-end Swiss mechanical watches. The Nautilus collection played a key role in Patek Philippe's overall marketing strategy as it had to refresh
5400-650: Was one of the twenty Swiss watch companies that founded the Centre Electronique Horloger and collaboratively developed the first Swiss quartz movements, such as the Beta 21 movement (1969) which was used by several manufacturers in their watches. In 1950s, the company even produced a prototype for a mechanical digital wristwatch, Ref. 3414. Patek Philippe popularized complications such as perpetual calendar , split-seconds hand , chronograph , and minute repeater in mechanical watches. In 2009,
5475-515: Was proposed by long-time employee Jules-César Savary as a watch intended for scientific bases in Antarctica . The watch was fitted with the Jaeger-LeCoultre Calibre 478BWS and featured seventeen jewels, a Breguet overcoil, a regulating spring on the balance-cock, a shock-absorber and a Glucydur balance. The year of its release, the Geophysic was offered to William R. Anderson , the captain of
5550-421: Was suspended from a diamond and enamel brooch . In 1868, Patek Philippe created the first Swiss wristwatch for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary . In 1875, Adrien Philippe commissioned a watch that he later gave to his daughter Louise as a wedding present, which is known as the only wristwatch dating back to be owned by either Patek or Philippe. This historical watch is known as “The Watchmaker’s Daughter” and
5625-541: Was the most complicated wristwatch from Patek Philippe until 2014. It is estimated that only 3 - 5 pieces are made each year, and the price for each piece is over US$ 1.2 million. However, every purchase of the piece requires an application from the buyer and has to be approved by Patek Philippe President Thierry Stern. On October 2, 2018, a Sky Moon Tourbillon 6002G was auctioned by Poly Auction in Hong Kong , fetching US$ 2.707 million ( HKD 21,240,000), making it one of
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