Posts Tagged ‘patek philippe’
Grieb & Benzinger Platinum – Taking Exclusivity To A New Level
So, you’re a sophisticated consumer with high disposable income and elegantly refined taste. You’re looking for something truly exquisite and unique, a one-off piece showcasing exceptional attention to detail and breathtaking craftsmanship. Well, perhaps it’s time your search got serious. We present to you the absolutely superb Minute Repeater 2 from super exclusive master watchmakers Grieb & Benzinger Platinum.
A Sense of History
Before we go into detail about this gorgeous one-off piece, however, it’s important you know the story behind this rather remarkable watchmaker. The ethos of Grieb & Benzinger is to craft unique wristwatches based on exceptional historic movements.
Their workshop is full of mostly historic special machinery and could easily double as an industrial museum paying ode to the pioneering spirit of Abraham-Louis Breguet and the like. It is here in this very special space that original movements first crafted by the hands of some of the greatest old masters of horology, such as Patek Philippe, are lovingly restored and modified with painstaking precision.
The company typically only uses movements that have been built between 1880 and 1920 and feature high-end complications, such as minute repeaters. Staying true to the original masters, Grieb & Benzinger use the traditional machinery and hand-crafting techniques from the old days to create their unique style timepieces. In this way classic old watches are thus turned into new and exclusive fine platinum masterpieces, incorporating increasingly rare techniques of craftsmanship for the finishing of the movements such as skeletonizing, engraving and guilloche all by hand.
We think you will agree that the end results are simply breathtaking.
The Minute Repeater 2
This latest one-off piece is based on an original movement by Patek Philippe, an extra special Minute Repeater exclusively built for the famous New York based jeweler TIFFANY’s around 1887. Professionally modified into a Grieb & Benzinger style regulator – the movement has been restored, guilloché, hand-engraved and coated with blue platinum in preparation for being turned into a new, exclusive timepiece.
A movement this unique deserves to be housed in an equally as special and customized case and Grieb & Benzinger have not cut any corners. The 49mm case is made of a 130g of solid platinum as is the crown with steel application. The dial is hand-skeletonized and hand-guilloched with original Breguet Frost Finish, blued steel hands and polished and flame blued screws.
The attention to detail is evident in every aspect of this timepiece. The bridges and cocks have been guilloched, the steel striking hammers with 2 spiral gongs have been polished and all striking parts, levers and springs have been honed and beveled.
This is truly a masterpiece.
The Final Word
When it comes to exclusive, incredibly high-end, unicum timepieces the awe-inspiring creations of Grieb & Benzinger Platinum are undeniably up there. This newest offering, the Minuter Repeater 2, will give one incredibly lucky fine timepiece connoisseur the opportunity to add a truly outstanding, never to be repeated piece to their collection.
Be quick though, as this is the only one the world will ever see!
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Antiquorum Auction: 14th and 15th November, Geneva, Switzerland.
One of the great things about living in Geneva is access to great auctions, but with the next auction only four weeks after the last one it is an embarrassment of riches. October’s auction was the usual affair held at the Kempinski Hotel on the edge of Lake Geneva just a few hundred meters from the Antiquorum office.
Of course no-one is immune from the effects of the economic downturn and perhaps the biggest impact on the sales has not been on the prices, though those do seem to have dipped a little, but in the number of items up for auction. Only a couple of years ago there would have been four or six sessions over the two days of the sale, now it is one session per day.
There is one interesting trend though, the range of prices is much greater, and luckily for the non-millionaires amongst us the prices are starting lower not ending higher. There are quite a few items below 5000CHF and lot of watches less than 15K CHF. Of course with the relatively strong Swiss Franc the prices may not always compare favorably with your local auction, but if there is one thing you can rely on from Antiquorum it is that the quality of the items is usually excellent.
If you are thinking of bidding you can’t really beat the thrill of actually being in the room, but of course that’s not an option for everyone so be assured that the online bidding application is excellent. The registration is very easy, but you’ll need a credit card, preferably one that still has some money on it!! In use the application is very responsive even on a small PC and it is has a lot of users.
While there are 363 other lots in the auction, the star of the show is number 364 (pictured above). The Patek Philippe Calibre 89 is the world’s most complicated watch with 33 different complications powered by a movement of four levels. Rather unusually there is no estimated price for lot 364, but as the piece is unique who knows what it will fetch, but I suspect it will be fun to find out!!
My personal favourite is lot 325, a very early Patek Philippe wristwatch, 1910, Officers watch. The precursor to watches like the 5053 and at only 6 – 9K Swiss Francs something of a bargain, but of course now I’ve told you about it…..ah well maybe next time!
To find out more information and view the full catalog go online to the official Antiquorum website.
Quality Redefined – The Patek Philippe Seal
Earlier this year Patek Philippe announced the introduction of their own Seal, the watch industry’s most exclusive and stringent hallmark of quality. According to the highly celebrated brand a new seal that defined all competencies and features of relevance to the manufacture, precision, and lifelong maintenance of a Patek Philippe timepiece was required (you can read the full press release here.)
I personally observed the introduction of this new Seal with great interest and so I was most fortunate then to receive a new book from the company explaining in photos and text the Patek Philippe Seal.
Published in 2009, and received Halloween week, this beautiful 45 page book explains a company’s decision to create its own quality criterion. This new in house seal replaces the Geneva Seal presumably from now on. This decision and its creation took several years to develop.
The Patek Seal is defined in both performance and aesthetic criterion. Text and unaltered photographs delve into these and other areas as well. While performance criterion are only partly explained, aesthetic ones are truly brought to life with very fine macro photography. The text uses the term Haute Horlogerie to explain what this entails.
What does this mean to the owner of the watch? It means the watch components are all smashing to see! One only need see pages 36 and 37 to understand how special a finish of a watch part can be. Using wooden wheels, the teeth of all steel wheels are treated to a perfect finish. Not simply amazing to see, this special finish improves performance and longevity of the watch.
It could be said this new seal is a response to the marketplace of today, one in which many more watches qualify for the Geneva Seal. It could also be said the Geneva Seal is too restrictive. In any event, this book is available at Patek retailers and is certainly a highly collectible one. After all, it truly
explains what will unfold into a historically significant moment in watchmaking history.
For more information check out the official Patek Philippe website.
Brand In Focus: Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe S.A is easily one of the most famous and expensive brands of wrist watches in the world. Over the years their incredible timepieces have been worn by a number of notable individuals, including members of royalty, movie stars and tycoons. For example, Albert Einstein was known to be a regular member on the customer list. To this day their stunning creations continue to delight and astound their wearers.
Where Did It All Begin?
The history of this masterful timepiece creator is indeed a long one with more changing over time than just the name. Today it is this rich history that guides the brand into the future.
On May 1st, 1839 two Polish immigrants, Antoine Norbert de Patek (Salesman) and François Czapek (Watchmaker) joined forces to found “Patek, Czapek & Co”. In 1844 Mr. Patek met the French watchmaker, Mr. Adrien Philippe in Paris where the latter presented his pioneering stem winding and setting system using the crown. In 1845 when Czapek decided to leave the company and to continue his activity on his own, the company name changed to “Patek & Co”.
Later on, in 1851 Mr. Philippe became officially associated with the company and it was re-baptised “Patek Philippe & Co”, before changing once more in 1901 to “Ancienne Manufacture d’Horlogerie Patek Philippe & Co, S.A.” Quite a mouthful, I’m sure you’ll agree.
Now, in 1932, the company was purchased by Charles and Jean Stern, two brothers and since then, “Patek Philippe S.A.” has remained a family owned firm, with 3rd and 4th generations at the helm in Mr. Philippe Stern, President and Mr. Thierry Stern, his son, Vice-President.
The hallmark or symbol of Philippe Patek S.A. is the Calatrava Cross. The name Calatrava has deep historical roots that plunge back to the middle-ages when in 1158 a Spanish religious order defended the Calatrava citadel against the moors. At the end of the nineteenth century, Patek Philippe adopted the emblem of the brave Spanish knights as its brand symbol, which adorns all Patek Philippe watches today.
A Rich History Of Success
The achievements of this phenomenal manufacturer throughout its storied history are as numerous as they are impressive. Patek Philippe is the creator of the most complicated mechanical watch ever made, the Calibre 89, created for the 150th anniversary of the company in 1989.
It holds 33 complications, including the date of Easter, a thermometer, time of sunrise, equation of time (the equation of time is the difference, over the course of a year, between time as read from a sundial and a clock), sidereal time (sidereal time is a measure of the position of the Earth in its rotation around its axis), and many other indicators. The Calibre 89 is also able to add a day to February for leap years while leaving out the extra day for every 100 year interval.
In addition to this they have also pioneered other revolutions in watch-making such as the perpetual calendar, chronograph, and minute repeater. However, as with every super luxury brand one of the key drawcards of the watch house to its incredibly savvy clientele is its exclusivity.
In the 150 year history of the company, they have produced approximately 600,000 timepieces in total – less than the annual production of Rolex. Please note that this is in no way intended to cast dispersions on Rolex as that brand’s heritage as a master watchmaker is indisputable. However, it does highlight the very different goals of each.
The Final Word
In my opinion Patek Philippe is unequivocally the best high-end luxury watch brand in the world. Its rich heritage and superior achievements in the world of master watchmaking set it apart from other brands and further increase its desirability. Many will never experience the chance to even hold one of these amazing timepieces let alone own one, but we can dream.
Fighting Fakes: Two-Part Special
The global spread of counterfeit watches is an issue that plagues watchmakers, retailers, enthusiasts and everyday consumers alike. Given the sheer magnitude of fakes flooding the markets the best defence available to protect yourself is knowledge. In this two-part special I will explore in detail what constitutes a counterfeit, how its effecting the industry and what’s been done about it. In part two I will provide some valuable hints and tips on how to steer clear of imitators.
What Are They?
Per Wikipedia, a counterfeit watch is an illegal copy of an authentic watch bearing the name of its brand and according to estimates by the Swiss Customs Service, there are some 30 to 40 million counterfeit watches put into circulation each year. The profitability of this black market industry is huge and seemingly endless, with one estimate putting the profit margin at $10 per dollar invested, about equal to profits of the illicit drug trade (and well below the profits of legitimate watch makers). This is truly a global business with numerous links to organised crime and a distribution network to die for!
Where Do They Come From?
So who’s making all these fakes? Swiss Customs estimates that 40% of counterfeit watches come from China, but counterfeits are produced elsewhere, even in the USA. You may remember the story from a few years ago now of authorities arresting a Florida woman for operating a counterfeit watch business. Her rented storage unit held almost 2,000 brand-name fake watches, with a total estimated retail value of $8.5 million. This is one of literally thousands of stories just like it and only serves to illustrate how wide-spread this issue has become.
The scary thing though is that in many countries possessing such a watch is not illegal. Even in Switzerland, where somewhat surprisingly, private persons are allowed to keep one counterfeit watch per person at the most, provided they import it personally into Switzerland. The maker and sellers of the replicas are usually in violation of the legal copyrights on the original manufacturer’s copyrights and trademarks, however, this rarely gives the latter much comfort.
What’s Been Done About It?
Why don’t the big brands do something about it I hear you ask? Well the fact is they do, however, with limited to no success. As with any facet of organised crime, tracing the problem back to the source is incredibly difficult, nigh impossible! Further to this, distribution of counterfeit watches is so widely spread now that it is simply pointless trying to address it without international co-operation between the appropriate authorities. This aspect is improving, however, it is a long way of being at the level required.
Another argument often put forth is that anyone who wants a $1,000 to $20,000+ watch and will settle for a $100 fake of it was not a serious buyer. They either would never have bought the real thing, or will toy with the fake and eventually return to their original desire and buy a real one after the brand-name image makes them feel good, but the fake itself disappoints. So while these products do infringe on the name brands, they don’t really hurt sales, therefore manufacturers do not have a financial incentive to aggressively pursue them. They tend to do enough that they can prove in any court cases that do arise that they have enforced their trademarks. But more than that is profitless to them.
There is some merit to this argument, however, consider this: globally, counterfeit watches are estimated to cost the Swiss watch industry more than $600 million per year. The claim that there is no harm done to sales is simply not true, as we all have seen or heard of countless examples where people will settle for a fake for any number of reasons, lack of education, taste, etc.
The Final Word
In my opinion, the big brands need to do more. No so much in pursuing the purveyors of these cheap imitations, but in educating and reminding consumers why they choose (have chosen) to buy a luxury watch in the first place. I’m fairly certain that no one here has bought a luxury watch solely because of the brand name or the way it looked. Consumers demand quality and they need to know they are going to get it. Watchmakers and retailers alike should be aware of this and act accordingly. Too often the significance of this is overlooked and can seriously impede the whole buying experience.
Make sure you tune in tomorrow for Part.2 on avoiding purchasing a fake watch.
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