STRONG BONDS
It is also a space to educate and thrill collectors: thematic exhibitions that will change every six months will reveal a different facet of the brand, and bring in exclusive pieces from the archives. Currently, connoisseurs can enjoy the sight of the special Singapore Dome Clock that Patek Philippe had crafted in commemoration of the nation’s 50th anniversary last year. Three pieces based on different themes were made, and broke all records at a private auction sale at the National Museum of Singapore. Cortina bought one of the clocks depicting the Singapore skyline by night for $750,000. And what of the slowing financial markets and the bleak outlook for 2016? With characteristic bluntness, Jeremy replies that he is not worried. “We planned this boutique in 2013, when nobody could have predicted what would happen. Whether the economy currently is good or bad, it is a long-term business and we’ve gone through many events—the Asian financial crisis, SARS, the credit crunch in the US. And we are strong, or even stronger, than before. What we have seen at the Baselworld fair in March, Patek Philippe has a very strong line-up and has again brought itself up to the next level. They are sensible products that are true to their tradition and values.” In fact, he says that his highlight for 2016 is not a new timepiece, but a reinvented avatar of the retrograde perpetual calendar Ref 5496, with applied indices on the date counter. “It is not a new watch. What Patek has done is to maintain the price of the watch, and enhance its value. You can always have a new creation, but what makes a difference is to improve on the watch and that’s important to us. We never take anything for granted.”