Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Patek Philippe Royalty and Anniversary

Did you know,
Patek Philippe watches have enjoyed great demand among discerning collectors and watch connoisseurs of a high social status and wealth. Since Queen Victoria’s reign, monarchs, popes, political leaders, and rulers have purchased timepieces manufactured by the brand either for their personal use or as a precious gift to be presented to an important guest, or in recognition of someone's remarkable bravery and loyalty.
In 1851, Patek Philippe started supplying its watches to Queen Victoria and her consort. Timepieces of the Genevan manufacturer immediately attracted attention of all the royal courts of Europe. Queen Victoria acquired a key-wound Patek Philippe watch created in a pendant style in November 1851 during the Great Exhibition of London. Queen Victoria owned one more exclusive Patek Philippe timepiece to be worn pinned to clothing. This watch was suspended from a diamond and enamel brooch.
The list of Patek Philippe notable past clientele also highlights Pope Pius IX, Christian IX and Louise (the king and queen of Denmark), Victor-Emanuel III (king of Italy and Duke of Savoy), and Hussein Kamal (prince of Egypt in the period of 1914-1917).

In 1989, Patek created one of the most complicated mechanical watches ever made, the Calibre 89, created
for the 150th anniversary of the company. It holds 33 complications, including the date of Easter, a thermometer, time of sunrise, equation of time, sidereal time, and many other indicators. 1,728 unique parts allow sidereal time a 2,800 star chart, and more.[4] 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.
This has outdone their previous record for making ultra-complicated (with 24 functions) pocket-watch for Henry Graves, Jr, which was the most complicated pocket watch ever made at that time.
For more information for this pocket watch, finds it in my blog.

No comments: