1. The Patek Philippe company was founded by two Poles
Though now considered a Swiss company, Patek Philippe was founded in 1839 by two Polish watchmakers, Antoine-Norbert de Patek and François Czapek. In 1844, Czapek left the brand to set up his own business. He was replaced by French watchmaker Adrien Philippe.
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The following year, the Patek Czapek et Cie company was dissolved. Antoine Norbert de Patek, Jean Adrien Philippe and Vincent Gostowski founded the Patek et Cie Company in Geneva, which in 1851 became Patek Philippe & Cie. The brand was acquired by the current owners of Patek Philippe, the Stern family, in 1932.
2. Patek Philippe is the brand with the most patents
With more than 80 registered patents, Patek Philippe is known to be one of the most innovative brands in the watch industry.
Among its most famous patents are the precision regulator in 1881, the double chronograph in 1902, the mechanical movement with peripheral rotor in 1964 and the patent for an astronomical representation mechanism in 2000.
3. Patek Philippe watches have their own museum
In 1989, when Patek Philippe celebrated its 150th anniversary with an exhibition at the Geneva Museum of Watchmaking and Enameling, Philippe Stern (then president of Patek Philippe) and his wife Gerdi decided to dedicate an entire museum to the brand.
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Located in Geneva, in an Art Deco building erected by William Henssler, the Patek Philippe Museum opened in 2001 and welcomes watch enthusiasts for an overview of the collections, design techniques, and different watchmaking professions. The institution is considered one of the largest watchmaking museums in the world, retracing more than five centuries of watchmaking art and more than 175 years of Patek Philippe, including the most complicated timepiece, the Caliber 89.
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