Patek Philippe

MADE: 1938

MATERIAL: 18ct Yellow Gold

MOVEMENT: Manual Mechanical

CASE DIAMETER: 45mm

For many, Patek Philippe is regarded as the pinnacle of watch excellence. With timepieces always crafted in limited numbers, Patek Philippe’s attention to detail and horological aptitude have granted the company acclaim the world over. Its beginnings however, were humble.

Antoine Norbert de Patek began making pocket watches in 1839 in Geneva, accompanied by his fellow Polish migrant Franciszek Czapek. The company that formed was called 'Patek, Czapek & Cie’ and enjoyed relative success but, Czapek had grown restless and desired to form his own watchmaking company.
Meanwhile, during a visit to the French Industrial Exposition Antoine Norbert de Patek met a Monsieur Adrien Philippe who on that day had earned a Gold Medal for his latest invention, a mechanism for watches which allowed them to be wound and set by means of crown rather than a key.
After Czapek and Patek went their separate ways in 1844, Adrien Philippe joined the business and in 1851 the company now known as Patek Philippe was officially established.

Patek and Philippe sought to create a company that was at the forefront of luxury watches with superior movements and quality that far surpassed that of their rivals. Their desire for success granted Patek Philippe admirers in high society and numerous awards globally for horological excellence.

- Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first cel-animated feature in motion picture history, is released in the United States following a premiere the previous year.

- Oil is discovered in Saudi Arabia.

- The steam locomotive Mallard sets the world speed record for steam by reaching 125.88 mph.