TRUE LEGACY
From the time it was founded, in 1839, the watch house Patek Philippe made its mark, favoured in royal circles. For one, the watch manufacture caught Queen Victoria’s eye at an exposition at the London Crystal Palace in 1851, where she bought a dainty pendant watch with diamond roses on blue enamel for herself and a pocket watch with chronometer escapement and quarter-repeater for her husband, Prince Albert.
Fast forward to 2014, and fourth-generation CEO Thierry Stern now leads the company celebrating its 175th anniversary. “One of the secrets of our success is our independence. We are the last family-owned watch manufacture in Geneva,” he says. “I feel proud to be at the helm during this important historical milestone and look forward to maintaining the long-standing spirit of creativity and innovation for which the company is known.” www.patek.com