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| Patek Philippe |
Standstill is a word foreign to the vocabulary of Patek Philippe. Although this brand may adorn itself with the superlative of having built the most complicated wearable mechanical watch in the world, its developers are not sitting back on their laurels.
One visible example of this is its current new timepiece: Reference 5101 P 10 Jours Tourbillon. As its name already states, this new creation is outfitted with a movement that has ten days of power reserve and a fascinating "whirlwind" carriage that hinders rate irregularities. The rectangular watch in art deco design doesn't display the tourbillon in a cutaway in the dial, however, but rather very discreetly on the transparent case back. Completely in the style of the house, this magnificent timepiece wears its fur on the inside.
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Contrary to the manufacture of his timepieces, Philippe Stern displays his treasures for all to see: The company head has fulfilled a lifelong dream for himself by opening a museum in the Genevan quarter Plainpalais. The Patek Philippe Museum is much more than a dusty room where the exhibits of a 160-year-old watch manufacture are kept. On the contrary: It is the most complete collection of wearable timekeeping there is and spans more than five
centuries of horological history.
House number 7 on rue des Vieux-Grenadiers houses several thousand pieces of the comprehensive private collection of the Patek Philippe proprietary family Stern and presents it to the general public in an interesting way on four storeys comprising 700 square yards each. Architect Massimo Bianco directed the project, and interior designer Jackie Nyffeler was an advisor to Philippe Stern and his wife Gerdi. After a good two years of renovations, the company was able to begin moving the precious, and in most cases, irreplaceable exhibits from timekeeping's history.
Museum director Arnaud Tellier, previously in charge of high horology at the Antiquorum auction house, and his advisors more often than not transported the most valuable pieces in their pants pockets and rode in taxis to avoid the unwanted attention armored cars would have aroused.
The collection of watches, tools, and literature that has been collected for centuries by Philippe Stern and his father Henri leaves everything else that could be seen publicly until now in its dust, including large national museum collections and thematic traveling exhibitions. Naturally, the presentation of 160 years of Patek Philippe watches alone was already a sensation for watch fans, as hardly one of the breathtaking "record watches" of the last few auction years is missing from this collection.
A visit to the Patek Philippe Museum, located near the city center, is an absolute must for visitors to Geneva with a free afternoon. Prospective visitors should, however, be aware that one look is hardly enough to take in the entire collection, much less digest it all. For some, a yearly pass might just be the right thing
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Patek Philippe
1 Rockefeller Plaza, #930
New York, NY 10020
Tel: 212-581-0870
www.patek.com
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