London currently has the privilege of hosting Patek Philippe’s Rare Handicrafts exhibition, which has previously only been seen at the watchmaker’s Geneva headquarters.
The exhibition is presenting 80 watches, pocket watches and clocks, each of which demonstrate the world leading expertise of Patek Philippe artisans in disciplines including Grand Feu cloisonné enamel, miniature painting on enamel, manual engraving, manual guillochéing, and gem-setting.
The watchmaker’s Rare Handcrafts division keeps these skills alive, and — in time-honored Patek Philippe tradition — passes them down from one generation to the next.
Thierry Stern, the current custodian and president of family-owned Patek Philippe, has first hand experience of learning the majesty of metier d’art from his father and grandfather.
“Everything I have done up until today came from my early experience with rare handcrafts. When I was six-years-old, I was in my Dad’s office and I opened a draw and discovered two beautiful pocket watches. I remember them very well and was amazed by how they looked. This is one of my earliest memories. Since then, this experience has always been in my mind and everything that has happened since can be traced back to those beautiful enamel pieces,” he recalls.
“It is part of my DNA and heart to work on these,” Mr Stern continues. “When you run a business like Patek Philippe, you have do some tough work and other things that are pure pleasure. Rare Handcrafts is one hundred percent pleasure,” he describes.
Running a Rare Handcrafts division is not the sort of activity that management consultants would recommend. It is expensive, has a production run of around 85 pieces per year, and faces a constant struggle to keep its vital skills alive. There is also the challenge of choosing which loyal clients will get the chance to buy one of the pieces when demand outstrips supply by around 100 to one.
But Rare Handcrafts is more than a labour of love for Mr Stern, it is totemic of the perfectionism that permeates all corners of Patek Philippe’s production and the experience it delivers to its clients.
“This is part of Patek Philippe’s DNA: making the most beautiful watches in the world. We want to find and bring together the very best people who can create something unique that can be really cherished. It is part of showing the values and the passion of Patek Philippe,” Mr Stern explains.