Patek Philippe

Patek Philippe is a Swiss watchmaker based in the Canton of Geneva, with operations in the Vallée de Joux. Antoni Patek and Franciszek Czapek founded the predecessor firm in Geneva in 1839; French watchmaker Adrien Philippe, who developed a keyless winding mechanism, later joined Patek. The Stern family has owned the company since 1932, and it is the last family-owned independent watch manufacturer in Geneva.

The Sterns introduced the Calatrava dress watch in 1932, and the Nautilus sports watch was designed by Gérald Genta. Patek makes its own movements, including some of the most complicated mechanical watches produced. Since 2009 its mechanical watches carry the in-house Patek Philippe Seal, which requires -3/+2 seconds per day for movements of 20 mm or more. The Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010 sold for US$31 million, the highest auction price for a wristwatch.