The premier watch making company Patek Philippe in Geneva is home to over four centuries of watch making which was founded in 1839 by an exiled Polish Nobleman. The earliest watches were signed Patek, Czapek & co. until 1845 when Czapek left the partnership. Several years later the company was joined by French watchmaker, Jean Adrien Philippe, who later became the inventor of their famous stem-winding and hand setting mechanism, a modern and reliable concept. After that the firm was know as Patek & Co; Philippe. Now the City Geneva is often referred to as the watch making capital of the world, to get this honor.

Patek Philippe assumed a leading role in the Swiss matchmaking industry by raising the standards of workmanship and time keeping through the introduction of technical improvements (the free mainspring, the sweep seconds hand), in addition to implementing improvements to regulators, chronographs, and perpetual calendar mechanism. That is why Patek Philippe was honored with the Geneva Seal. For starters, each and every part used in the manufacturing process is subjected to about 600 hours of quality control. The final timepiece itself is subjected to severe testing and observation that could last for as long as 30 days.

The watch Company Patek Philippe also believes in innovation, and has set up a large research and developmental department for better products. The most famous innovation was the keyless-watch that it developed in 1845; also a breakthrough in the world of horology. The most recent example is its watch masterpiece, the Star Caliber 2000, which has won the company six patents.

During the 1950s, the watchmakers at Patek Philippe developed a number of amazing watches. Hand-painted enamel dials, world time watches, minute repeaters, split-second chronographs and other spectacular timekeepers were to prove extremely popular with wealthy clients of the firm. At the same time, even regular production watches were of spectacular quality.

The very distinctive timepieces of Patek Philippe are rare and exclusive in its own right. Every model of watches is not developed into more than a few hundred pieces, so it demands guaranteeing the rarity and exclusivity of each model. All movements bear an individual serial number that is maintained as a record in the Patek Philippe archives. In this way it becomes possible to keep track of the famous timepieces; the numbers also help to validate their authenticity.

Today, Patek Philippe retains the ability to produce pocket watches, and clocks to order, from highly complicated movements to those decorated with enameled miniature paintings and engravings. The company created a world record when it’s Graves pocket watch sold for a million dollars, making it the most expensive watch in the world. Patek Philippe watches are also treasured as investments on account of the price they command. The company continues to patent new inventions and improvements in horology and plays an important role in maintaining the quality, prestige and reputation of the Swiss watch making.