Philippe Stern
The horological world mourns the passing of the incredibly beloved Philippe Stern, who departed this world on June 14, 2026, at the age of 88. Pulitzer Prize and Academy Award-winning writer, William Saroyan once said: “In the time of your life—live.” As we delve into this story, we will discover Philippe Stern embodied this ideal, as famously articulated by the historic Patek Philippe slogan: “There is something one should expect not only of a watch, but also of oneself. To never stand still.”
"If you want to understand the future, you have to look into the past."
—Philippe Stern
If you’re familiar with Patek Philippe as the epitome of Swiss watchmaking excellence, you’ll be enthralled by the intricate details in this captivating story. Even if you’re not familiar with Patek Philippe, but you’re curious about the history of this company renowned as the gold standard in watchmaking, you’ll find this story equally captivating.
After reading and exploring all the images, you’ll gain a deep and meaningful understanding of the brand, akin to a Ph.D. level comprehension par excellence. In other words—at a minimum—you will deeply understand what has made Patek Philippe tick over the past two centuries, and perhaps most importantly, you will understand its timeless design language and value proposition. This is the amazing story of Patek Philippe!!!
VALUE PROPOSITION
Over the course of the past 19 years I have been writing and researching horological history on PatekMagazine.com, RolexMagazine.com, and PaneraiMagazine.com, I have gained one deeply profound insight/quotient I will share with you: The resale value of all watches, especially through auction houses, is directly correlated with how timeless their designs are—coupled with their condition and rarity.
In other words, if a watch was made in the 1950s, from any brand, and was made larger at the time, and still looks modern, but in a vintage way, it will likely be more valuable than dated looking watches. This formula is likely true for most valuable collectables (Think Vintage Ferrari), and specifically the logic flow is: the more products transcend obsolescence, the greater their appreciation and/or resale value.
"Elegance knows no pain."
—Morley Safer
Take for example this 34MM Stainless Steel 1949 Patek Philippe Reference 1526 which sold for $3,956,159 in 2008. The model is a true unicorn in the annals of horology. While the Reference 1526, launched in 1941 as the world’s first serially produced perpetual calendar wristwatch, totaled just 210 examples—predominantly in yellow gold with a handful in rose gold—this singular steel piece stands alone.
Custom-cased by Georges Croisier for American racing legend Briggs Cunningham, it houses the revered Caliber 12'''120 QP with moon phases and bears subtle US-market adaptations like the “SWISS” dial marking.
In an era marked by material scarcity due to wartime restrictions, its existence defies the prevailing gold-dominated norm. Consequently, it becomes exponentially rarer than the four known examples of the already mythical steel Reference 1518 models, as acknowledged by scholarship. This unique steel Reference 1526 embodies Patek Philippe’s adaptability and craftsmanship under the Stern family, cementing its status as one of the ultimate collector’s holy grails.
How can you explain the fact a stainless steel Patek Philippe watch that is smaller by 4mm than a U.S. Silver dollar sold eighteen years ago for $4 Million!?!! It's simple: She's a very rare beauty, with magnificent curves, that have been well preserved over all the decades she's been alive. While it's true all things mechanical eventually fail, she's built to last, and if properly maintained, could last forever.
Since we’re on the topic, let’s delve into the core reason behind why men collect and wear old watches with modern proportions like the example pictured above.
Gene Preservation
At the very essence of it all lies genetic preservation. Yes, you heard that right. The ultimate governor of almost all human behavior is gene preservation. Most of the time we don't even notice or think about this fact, but it's profoundly true. Why do we like to eat great food, love beautiful women, drive nice cars, live in beautiful homes, desire really cool watches, have children?
If a man wears a 70-year-old watch that appears modern and contemporary—acting as the last bastion of male peacockery—he’s demonstrating his genes have not only endured, but thrived.
Patek Philippe Preservation
Renowned among horology enthusiasts for crafting exceptional, intricate, and highly sought-after timepieces, Patek Philippe has established itself as a global symbol of prestige, signifying affluence, status, and refined taste. As a pioneering trailblazer in the industry, Patek Philippe has consistently pushed the boundaries of innovation by introducing groundbreaking concepts such as the first perpetual calendar, annual calendar, and even the pioneering motionless solid-state quartz model.
Europa Star once brilliantly summed up Patek Philippe as 'The Flagship of Swiss Watchmaking Prowess.' To a certain extent, I would argue Patek Philippe is the Rolls-Royce of watches. Historically, Patek Philippe has always been known for crafting elegant, thinner timepieces with refined, gentlemanly sophistication—in the Cary Grant tradition—while Rolex, on the flip side of the coin, embodies a bolder, more masculine and adventurous spirit, like, Paul Newman, or Steve McQueen.
Patek Philippe sits at the absolute pinnacle, with sublime finishing. Every component of a Patek movement reveals tremendous refined detail, with zero right angles or unfinished surfaces. What you don’t see inside a Patek Philippe is as refined and polished as what you do see on the outside.
Philippe Stern
The Living Personification of Patek Philippe
Philippe Stern personified and was the living embodiment of Patek Philippe: a flawless, sophisticated gentleman of understated refinement and elegance. Patek Philippe remains the only independent family-owned manufacture today and we largely have Philippe Stern to thank. As the third generation of the Stern family to lead the company, Philippe Stern didn’t just run Patek—he protected it to pass down to the next generations, believed in it, and quite honestly, saved it. He also meticulously preserved Patek Philippe’s remarkable history in such a way that it will endure for eternity.
Philippe Stern, born in Geneva, Switzerland on June 14, 1938, grew up surrounded by watches, but he didn’t simply inherit the business; he earned it. After studying economics, he embarked on his career on June 3, 1963, at Patek Philippe. He spent several years in New York at the Henri Stern Watch Agency learning the ropes before returning to Geneva. There, he was essentially initiated and worked his way up from the bottom through every department of the company, starting from the ground up, where he would do rudimentary things like changing straps on watches. As a young man, Philippe Stern was an avid sportsman and skier. He is pictured below with fellow Patek Philippe executives, who were his mentors and surrounded him during his formative years.
In the photo below we see the three most recent generations of Stern family leaders, from left to right, Thierry Stern, current President of Patek Philippe (Generation 4), Henri Stern (Generation 2), and Philippe Stern (Generation 3).
While Philippe Stern dedicated his life to protecting and elevating Patek Philippe in the modern era, the story of the brand itself begins nearly two centuries earlier—in a small workshop in Geneva, Switzerland in 1839.
The Genesis
Before we delve into Philippe Stern’s remarkable contributions to safeguarding and nurturing Patek Philippe, let’s embark on a journey through time by hopping in the Patek Philippe time machine. We’ll travel back centuries to unravel the brand’s origins and the circumstances that led to its acquisition by the Stern family.
Patek Philippe, a renowned Swiss watchmaker, was founded in 1839 in Geneva by Polish entrepreneur Antoine Drbert de Patek and Czech partner Franciszek Czapek. Initially, the company was known as Patek, Czapek & Cie. After parting ways, for reasons unknown to scholarship, Patek partnered with French watchmaker, Jeanne-Adrien Philippe (inventor of the keyless winding system) in 1845, forming Patek et Cie, which would later become the company we know today, simply as Patek Philippe.
Philippe Stern, an erudite writer, perfectly encapsulated the essence of the situation when he wrote:
"The firm known successively as Patek, Czapek & Cie (1839), Patek & Cie (1845), and then Patek, Philippe et Cie (1851) owes its existence to the combined talents of Antoni Norbert Patek de Prawdzic (later known as Antoine Norbert de Patek), a Polish patriot who had taken refuge in Geneva, and Jean Adrien Philippe, a French horologist whose gifts were not recognised in his homeland.In this team, Philippe was the watchmaker par excellence, a brilliant inventor whose high standards spurred the company’s technical progress, while Patek was the determined and visionary entrepreneur.
Some of the early watches, bearing the portraits of Polish heroes or the symbols of a fervent religious faith, bore testimony to the aspirations of the Polish émigrés; indeed, many of the early clients were exiled Polish patriots and aristocrats.
The International World’s Fairs played an important role in the firm’s history. The 1851 Universal Exhibition in London was the first international event in which Patek Philippe participated. There it drew the attention of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, who purchased a stem-wound watch and a quarter-repeating one. This was the first success in a series of many, including numerous prizes and other distinctions won at International Exhibitions.
While granting great importance to technical complications, the new company was also attentive to the decoration of its watches. Its exquisite miniature and form watches were in the finest Geneva tradition.
The American jewellery firm Tiffany & Co began offering Patek Philippe watches very early, spreading the company’s renown in the New World."
Adrien Philippe invented a brilliant mechanism in 1842 for watches that allowed them to be wound and set by means of a crown rather than a key, which really revolutionized pocket watches. He patented his winding invention which earned him a Bronze Medal at the 1844 French Industrial Exposition, which was also known as a World's Fair. At the Exhibition, Adrien Philippe first met Antoni Patek and within a year was appointed head watchmaker at Patek & Co. in Geneva as part of an agreement that entitled him to a third of all company profits.
Adrien Philippe proved to be extremely competent at his craft and so innovative he was made a full partner in 1851 as the firm began operating as Patek Philippe & Co. In 1863 Adrien Philippe published a book in Paris and Geneva on the inner workings of pocket watches which was titled Les montres sans clef. Patek Philippe made several groundbreaking innovations, including designing and manufacturing the first Swiss wristwatch ever created in 1868 for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary.
Adrien Philippe's invention of the winding crown was deeply profound, as its DNA exists in every mechanical watch ever made as a means of hand-winding the watch and setting the hour and minute hands. So every mechanical Rolex, Omega, Cartier, Panerai, Longines, etc., is wound and its time set by the method Philippe invented back in 1842.
Patek's First
Visit to America
In late 1854, Antoine Norbert de Patek made a harrowing voyage to America. A journey that should have taken ten days turned into two weeks of savage storms. Upon arriving in New York, he wrote that he found “this badly organized country crawling with dangers.” His hotel room was robbed while he was at dinner along with many other treacherous experiences.
Despite the chaos, the trip proved pivotal. He visited the Boston Watch Company, which would soon evolve into the Waltham Watch Company where he was stunned by the revolutionary use of interchangeable parts and the emerging American system of assembly line manufacture. In a letter back to his partners in Geneva, Patek noted Americans primarily demanded inexpensive watches that were still capable of "determining the speed of their horses to an accuracy of one quarter of a second."
Seeing this, he decided Patek Philippe would not compete in the mass-produced, inexpensive segment. Instead, the company would remain focused on the highest-end, highly finished bespoke watches.
That same trip also cemented his relationship with Tiffany, Young & Ellis, the firm that would become Tiffany & Co. This partnership, which began with a handshake, has endured for over 170 years and continues to this day.
The American watch industry that so impressed Patek would go on to dominate the world through its mastery of industrialized production. This included producing some of the earliest waterproof watches as far back as 1916—decades before Hans Wilsdorf introduced the Rolex Oyster. However, after World War II when American factories were converted to military production, the U.S. lost its dominance in watchmaking. I recently explored this fascinating story in my seminal article "The Oyster and the Mermaid" on RolexMagazine.com.
The Stern Family
Husband and wife, Louise and Henri Edouard Stern, established a legendary dial manufacturing workshop named Fabrique de Cadrans Stern Frères on Rue Céard in Geneva, Switzerland's watchmakers and jewelers district, in 1898.
STERN FRÉRES
Master of Cloisonné Enamel Dials
Stern Frères S.A. dial company became a supplier for Patek Philippe and Co, and their dials were so impressive, they became the exclusive dial suppliers to the company. Stern Freres S.A. is perhaps best known for their magnificent Cloisonné Enamel Dials, like we see in the photo below on a 1952 Patek Philippe Reference 2481, which features a pristine tropical rain forest dial.
This magnificent beauty was auctioned by Phillips Auciton house for $1,117,600, and part of the description reads:
"Cloisonné enamel is considered one of the finest and most complex dial fabrication techniques in high horology. Fine gold wires are first placed on a metal base to define the subject of the enamel. The sections created with the wire are then filled with powdered enamel colored by metal oxides and fired, which then solidifies the enamel, resulting in a beautiful work of art."
Below we see a similar Patek Philippe Tropical Cloisonné Dial, which was made in 1954, and appears courtesey of John Goldberger.
This magnificent Cloisonné dial was hand-enamled by Miss Marguerit Kock for the Stern Fréres company in 1953 and it was inserted into a pink gold case. The watch had a calibur 27sc and the tropical dials French name was "Forét Vierge."
Below we see the original hand-painted, water-color that illustrates the dial's layout. I think I like the shape and position of the mountain-top better in the original illustration, as seen below. It's interesting to note the real life scale of the painting were very big and were often painted on a canvas that was over a yard in height and width.
Patek Philippe
1905 Chronometro Gondolo Top Winder
Below is an image of the earliest Patek Philippe wrist watch I am aware of. I was made in 1905 and may very well be one of the first wrist watch ever made. Essentially it's a pocket watch with lugs soldiered onto its body. I first wrote about this fascinating watch in detail that appears courtesy of Antiquorum back in 2012.
First SmartWatch
The Story of Man and His Machines
Over a century before Apple Computers was founded in a California garage, and seven decades before Rolex began making watches, and long before the world ever dreamed of electronic smartwatches strapped to our wrists, Patek Philippe had already pioneered the concept of wearable intelligent devices—timepieces that functioned as true personal companions, delivering a wealth of information and utility far beyond the simple telling of hours, minutes, and seconds.
These mechanical marvels, packed with perpetual calendars that accounted for leap years, moon phase indicators that tracked the lunar cycle with poetic precision, split-second chronographs for measuring fleeting moments, minute repeaters that chimed the time on demand, and celestial displays mapping the stars as seen from specific cities, anticipated in analog form the multifunctionality and personal utility we now associate with modern digital assistants.
Yet where today’s Apple Watches rely on batteries, silicon chips, and lines of code, Patek Philippe’s masterpieces drew their life from the refined energy of the mainspring—whether meticulously wound by hand with a deliberate, almost ritualistic turn of the crown or gently sustained by the natural rhythm and motion of the wearer’s wrist—creating a deeply personal, living connection between human and machine that no electronic device has yet equaled in soul or longevity.
Mastery of Complicated Watches
Patek Philippe stands as the undisputed master of complicated watches. In its essence, a complication refers to any hand, display, or mechanism beyond the basic hour hand found in the earliest timepieces. This is an important consideration, and to illustrate this point, I am sharing a pocket watch from Rolex Founder, Hans Wilsdorf's personal collection as seen below.
The pocket watch pictured below from the Wilsdorf collection was made in 1665 in Germany by Jeremias Flug of Passau. The watch is fully enameled and the form has silver-set turquoise, and the back enamel depicts the Departure of Ulysses.
The most fascinating detail on the pocket watch above is the original pocket watches only had one hand which was an hour hand. Second hands did not come along for many years and were really the first complication on a pocket-watch. I think there is a simple elegance to a one-handed watch. Interestingly, the user can use the single hour hand to also measure and determine the elapsed minutes based upon where the hour hand is located as we see the tip of the hour hand overlays the minute track in the picture above, which is pictured above at around 5:10 AM, or PM. To learn more about the Hans Wilsdorf pocket watch Collection please click here.
By modern standards, the hour and minute hands are considered fundamental, making additions like a seconds hand, date window, moonphase indicator, year wheel, or even an automatic winding system true complications. The greater the number of such features, the more complex the watch. That being said, time only watches today, including the hour, minute hand and second hand are now considered standard, and not complicated. At Patek Philippe, timepieces featuring a perpetual calendar and beyond are designated as Grand Complications. Patek once beautifully wrote:
"Perpetual calendar watches have long delighted collectors with their ability to anticipate the days to come."
Personally, most of my favorite Patek Philippe models tend to be on the complicated side, and I have included a good overview of many of these different models—which, to my way of thinking, is what makes a Patek Philippe a Patek Philippe. That is not to say that many of the "time only" models are not appealing in their simplicity.
An analogy that comes to mind would be to say that chocolate, or vanilla, or strawberry ice cream can be delicious. When you take a brand like Ben and Jerry's with flavors like Chunky Monkey, which ads large chocolate chips and walnuts to a banana ice cream base, it ads a great deal of diversity and ideal complication.
This article is not just about the evolution of the company, but more importantly about the visionary leadership of Patek Philippe, particularly the Stern family, that bore many of these immense innovations. It contains many outstanding Patek Philippe models, many of which are my favorites. I only emphasize this fact as there is not enough room in this article to showcase the rich expanse and plethora of watch models Patek Philippe has made over the centuries.
1925
In 1925 Patek Philippe introduced a radical new complicated model wristwatch that was the first perpetual calendar model ever made by anybody, and it's pictured below. This model was 34.4MM and featured its number of 97 975 on the dial as it was a one-off timepiece featuring an instantaneous perpetual calendar. It was powered by a movement originally made in 1898 for a women's pendant watch. In 1889 Jean Adrien Philippe was granted Swiss patent Number 1018, which protected the design of Patek's Philippe's perpetual calendar movement mechanism.
Henry Graves
Supercomplication
The Henry Graves Supercomplication stands as a towering achievement in Patek Philippe’s history. Commissioned by New York banker Henry Graves Jr. in 1925, and delivered in 1933 after eight years of handcrafting, this 18k gold pocket watch packs 24 complications into a 74mm, half-kilo masterpiece. It features Westminster chimes, split-seconds chronograph, perpetual calendar to 2100, moon phases, equation of time, sidereal time, alarm, sunrise/sunset indicators, and a breathtaking celestial chart mapping the night sky over Graves’ Manhattan apartment. Built without computers using 920 parts, it symbolized Patek’s mastery during the transition to the Stern family era.
Graves, one of the 20th century’s greatest collectors, drove this creation to eclipse rivals like James Ward Packard. The result was more than a timepiece—it was a personal observatory and auditory symphony, with chimes echoing through its double dials. For decades it reigned as the world’s most complicated mechanical watch, embodying the golden age of grand complications before wartime material shifts.
Its auction journey underscores its legend: sold for millions multiple times, peaking near $24 million in 2014. Today it remains a cornerstone of Patek lore, highlighting the brand’s independence and innovation that continue to define its legacy.
1927
In 1927 Patek Philippe created this magnificent avant garde wristwatch model that incorporated superb art nouveau design language in a rare cushion case triple date moonphase model which placed the convex moonphase complication at the top of the dial. It is challenging to understand today just how innovative this watch was when it was made in the late 1920s. For instance, this is the first digital wristwatch I know of with digital day-of-the-week and month discs which are read through rectangular aperture windows. This triple-date/moonphase design language would forever become a visual trademark of Patek Philippe, although, as we will see, they kept experimenting with it until they made it perfect, but the model below represented the genesis of this flagship look and vibe. The hour market on this watch feature primitive Breguet numerals.
1928
In 1928 Patek Philippe made the 34MM white gold cushion-shaped single-button chronograph wrist watch model seen below that featured a silvered dial made by Cadrans Stern Frères. It was auctioned by Christies in 2011 for $3,637,408. This model features much more precise Breguet 5 minute marker numerals.
Eventually, at the behest of their mother, Louise the Stern's two sons, Charles and Jean Stern invested in the Patek Philippe. In 1932, during the Great Depression, dial makers Charles and Jean Stern acquired the majority ownership in Patek Philippe from the grandson of Jean-Adrien Philippe.
Charles Stern largely ran Patek Philippe, and Jean Stern ran Cadrans Frères Stern S.A., which continued making dials not only for Patek Philippe, but also famously made hand-painted cloisonné dials for brands including Rolex, and even made the California dials that appeared on the Rolex made Panerai models.
1932
The Age of Modernity
1932 represented a tipping point for the Swiss watch agency as it was the first year that they explored more wristwatches than pocket watches. After the Stern brothers purchased controlling interest in Patek Philippe they set out to make simple, elegant men's dress watches that could be dressed up with Black Tie, or down, with a suit, or casual sportswear. They made this first series of watches to deliver a beautiful designed timeless watch that was relatively affordable. The result of this was the Patek Philippe & Co., Reference 96, "time only" model which is pictured below in an image that appears courtesy of John Reardon from Collectability.com.
Although Patek Philippe began making the Reference 96 in 1932, the earliest photo I was able to find was the model pictured above that was made in 1934, which is in unrestored condition and appears courtesy of the amazing John Reardon from Collectability.com. According to Patek Philippe, the inspiration for these early simple "time only" dress watches was the Bauhaus school of modern design, which posited that form must follow function.
The idea that everything considered classic today was once considered to be modern is perfectly on-point for many of the Reference 96 models.
CALATRAVA
The Round, Simple Dress Watch
Patek Philippe still uses this original design language today, though the watches have grown larger. Most of these early models were just over 30 millimeters. In 1985, Patek officially named this style the Calatrava, after the Knights of Calatrava. While many of these watches are simple time-only pieces, there are also exceptions that include a date or other complications. That makes the exact boundary of what qualifies as a Calatrava a bit fuzzy. At its core, a Calatrava is Patek’s version of the perfectly balanced, round, elegant dress watch—clean, timeless, and refined. Think smooth bezel, classic round case, and those signature slightly downturned lugs. It’s the opposite of sporty or flashy. The Calatrava is the male equivalent of the "little black dress"—timeless, elegant, simple, and always appropriate."
In a brilliantly researched and written article published on Collectability.com, written by Tony Triana titled "A Collector’s Guide to the Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 96" Tony succinctly sums up the Reference 96 by saying:
"To collect the ref. 96 is to collect the blueprint of not only modern Patek Philippe, but of all modern dress watches. Understanding this blueprint—its subtleties, its enduring appeal—is essential for any collector of vintage watches."
1937
When I visited the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, Switzerland back in 2013, I took a photo of this manually wound 30MM 1937 Patek Philippe Reference 96 which was the first to incorporate a retrograde perpetual calendar within a wristwatch. "Retrograde" simply means the day of the month hand bounces back to "1" at the end of the 31 day cycle. This complicated perpetual calendar was the first model after Patek Philippe was overhauled by the Stern family after they took control of the company.
1939
In 1939 Patek Philippe continued pushing the complication envelope and made this Platinum Reference 570 Triple Date Moonphase perpetual calendar which included a unique astronomic minute repeater. This watch was sold at auction back in 1996 at Auction, which Patek Philippe purchased back for $2.3 Million. I originally wrote an article about this beauty back in 2012 on PatekMagazine.com and it still takes my breath away when I examine its magnificent art deco design. It's interesting to note that it's the first Patek Philippe wristwatch that moved the day and month aperture windows out to serve as 3 and 9 hour markers.
1941
Smack dab in the middle of World War II, in 1941 Patek Philippe launched a revolutionary new 34MM hand-wound caliber 12-120 QP Reference 1526 model which represented their new flagship signature design language, that featured dual aperture windows, coupled with a centered moonphase sub dial. This magnificently simple beauty became their first production series perpetual calendar wrist watch model, and its design was deeply influence by Henri Stern. This radical new model was radically simple, while concurrently being equally sophisticated, and complicated.
I have been a designer for 5 decades, and my personal trademark has alway been to design products that transcend obsolescence, and the design of this minimalist masterpiece does exactly that. If Patek Philippe made this exact model today in 40MM with an automatic movement, in a waterproof case, I would argue it would be absolutely perfect. I remember the first time I ever saw this model, being completely gobsmacked and stunned by it's beauty.
The graphic below that shows how Patek Philippe evolved their radical 34MM, hand-wound caliber 12-120 Reference 1526 Perpetual Calendar over the course of two years (from 1941 to 1943) into their 37.6MM, Refernce 1527 Perpetual Chronograph by creating a larger 3.7MM larger case, then added an outer tachymeter scale ring, chronograph hand, and three chronograph subdial complications to the same diameter movement in a larger case.
In other words, they took a magnificently minimalist model and made it far more complicated in a good way. Also, notice how there are ~2 of airspace/openspace in between the end of the strap on the smaller watch with the black strap, and with the larger chronograph they brilliantly eliminated any airspace, to help the larger watch wear identically on the wrist. By adroitly scaling they created two new models that would serve to this day as the archetypes for these two styles of watches.
Unique 1943 Model
A Wartime Masterpiece Archetype
In 1943 Patek Philippe created a genuinely unique one-of-a-kind Chronograph model that remains shrouded in mystery to this day. I would have to say this is probably the most timeless, elegant, sophisticated, sublime Patek Philippe models ever made, and it's proportions are shocking on many levels. This beauty carries a Reference Number of 1527 and was a whopping 37.6MM, which was considered to be enourmous in 1943. This over-the-top/crazy-beautiful magnificent Patek Philippe chronograph was manufactured during World War II, which just blows my mind!!!!
Even more impressively, this unique Refernce was commissioned by the owner and President of Patek Philippe, Charles Stern, who was Henri Stern's son, and named his own son after his father. The 18kt tonneau case was made by Emile Vichet, and houses a modified 1518 movement with a perpetual calendar, chronograph and moonphase. It was completed in 1944 with a special ruby dial, then Patek Philippe replaced the dial with the one seen here and sold it in 1946. It's one of only two complicated Reference 1527s ever made. The other (non-chronograph perpetual) is also a Stern special order and resides in the Patek Philippe Museum.
It was Sold at Christie’s Geneva on 10 May 2010 for CHF 6.26 million (~$5.7 million). Bought by Patek Philippe and now displayed in the museum. At the time, this watch set a world record for the sale of a Patek Philippe wrist watch, which was later eclipsed by Paul Newman's Exotic White Dial Daytona. This unique piece served as a harbinger for some of the most iconic triple date moonphase Patek Philippe Chronograph wristwatches that came after it. The supreme irony is that if Patek Philippe made this exact model today it would be a huge success, and if they made it between 40 and 42MM it would arguably be even better.
1943
In 1943, Patek Philippe also introduced the new Reference 1527 which featured the caliber 12-120 QP movement, and it took simplicity and sophistication to a whole new level. Particularly with the incorporation of this magnificently timeless new case design language, and it replaced the more complicated minute track with this simple 60 second track, while also adding lumed hands and 5 minute markers so the wearer could see the time in the dark.
Patek Philippe didn't start advertising in newspapers and magazines until the late 1930s, and as we see from the 1943 Patek Philippe magazine ad pictured below which sums up the brand by saying: "The World's Foremost Watch."
Henri Stern
Go West Young Man
Henri Felix Stern (Charles' son, pictured below) began his horological career in 1932, at age 21, working at Cadrans Frères Stern S.A. which made watch dials. After several years, Henri became more interested in Patek Philippe as he enjoyed the technical sophistication, and convinced his father to allow him to join Patek Philippe in 1935, where he expanded globally via the Henri Stern Watch Agency in New York, and became Chairman in 1958. Henri Stern was the first president of Patek Philippe to recognize the value proposition of advertising in magazines and newspapers, which he began doing in 1937.
Above, we see a photo of Henri Stern who was Philippe Stern's father. Patek Philippe sums up his plight beautifully:
"Charles’ son Henri joined Patek Philippe in 1935 as Commercial Director and a few years later, in 1937 his father, Charles Stern sent him to New York to build out American distribution. In 1945 he leased office space in Rockefeller Center where, in 1946 he created The Henri Stern Watch Agency (HSWA), which became (and remains) the exclusive distributor of Patek Philippe watches in the United States.
Henri Stern's travels to Canada, Latin America and Asia helped develop the company’s standing on the world stage. Beyond building out the North American market, Henri traveled heavily throughout Asia and Latin America to foster retail partnerships and solidify Patek's status as a global standard."
Henri became Chairman of the Board upon his return to Geneva in 1958, and that same year, became the sole owner of the family firm, Patek Philippe. Henri is pictured below in 1960 at age 49, in the prime of his life.
Henri was convinced at a young age that Patek Philippe's most fruitful marketplace was potentially the United States, and in 1941 he drew the fascinating illustration below which he mailed to his uncle Jean Stern in Geneva, which contrasted his old life in Switzerland with his new much more past paced life in New York. Henri wrote:
"The sketch tells you better than my words how much my heart is still in Geneva...meanwhile I continue lugging my suitcase and my carcase around the world."
Henri stern also said:
"For months, I travelled around the States. I think I knew more about the country than the average American. I was on the road for five to six months a year, as a salesman, visiting customers or making new friends, discovering new cities. Every experience helped me understand and appreciate the American way of life."
PATEK PHILIPPE
On Top of The World in New York
Living The American Dream
Henri Stern is pictured below on the far right, looking away from the camera with his side profile. He is posing with his United States sales team on top of the Empire State building, on the 84th floor observation deck back in the mid 1940s.
Henri Stern hired Swiss born René-Paul Dentan to be the head salesman for the Henri Stern Watch Agency in New York which represented Patek Philippe and Universal Genève watches in the United States market.
In the photo above we see Dentan pictured front and center in the photo above during World War II. Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf, and Rolex Director, René-Paul Jeanneret were so impressed with Dentan's legendary sales skills and Swiss charm, they hired him in mid 1945, just after World War II officially ended to be the head of sales for the Rolex U.S.A. distribution network, which is commonly referred to as Rolex U.S.A., and obviously Dentan did a great job. I have been working on a book about René-Paul Dentan's career achievements and we see the cover artwork below:
I have been publishing RolexMagazine.com for 19 straight years now, and in that time have become the world's leading Rolex Historian. Over the years I have been working on a 28 volume series of books, the first of which will be on Rolex's founder, Hans Wilsdorf, and you can see its cover artwork below. Just to be clear, I have not begun publishing my veritable Rolex encyclopedia yet, as I have been focused on fine-tuning all the details, but look forward to begin publish them soon.
The rear cover art for my first volume is pictured below, and if you read the treatment carefully you might realize and/or correlate the fact both Henri and Philippe Stern also both immersed themselves deeply in American culture by living and working in the United States. As a matter of fact, Henri Stern once brilliantly observed after having traveled so much by car all over the United States, he felt confident he probably knew the geography better than most people born and raised in the United States.
The nexus/relationship between Patek Philippe and Rolex over the years has been fascinating. I recall reading an interview with Thierry Stern, where the interviewer asked him if he had one wish that could be granted, what would it be?, and he said, something like "I would love to visit and tour the Rolex factories, but I don't think they would let me in." Ironically, I believe if Thierry Stern ever decided to sell Patek Philippe it would likely be sold to Rolex, as they both occupy the most prestigious positions in the Swiss watchmaking world.
Speaking of books and Patek Philippe, I remember about 30 years ago, purchasing a Patek Philippe book as I was so interested in learning more about their complicated models, and I ended up paying $300 for it. After it arrived, I was so disappointed I called the Henri Stern Agency in New York and asked for a refund, which they promptly returned to me. The main reason I started publishing PatekMagazine.com back in 2011, which was 15 years ago, was so I could blog about my favorite Patek Philippe models, which tend to be their grand complications.
So let's get back to Henri Stern (pictured below on the right), who is arguably most responsible for building Patek Philippe into the most prestigious luxury watch brand in history. As the president of the company from 1958 to 1993, he is widely credited with establishing the brand’s dominant international presence, particularly within the United States. In the photo below we see Henri Stern in his New York office discussing Patek Philippe model details with a fellow executive.
Jean Pfister
Patek Philippe Technical Wizard
In 1932, after acquiring Patek Philippe, the Stern family embarked on a mission to restore the brand to its former glory. They recognized that achieving global recognition required exceptional operational capabilities. However, Patek Philippe was in a state of disrepair due to the devastating impact of the Great Depression on the brand. Also, after brothers Jean and Charles Stern acquired Patek Philippe they realized that as much as they were experts in dial manufacturing, they lacked a great deal of expertise in watchmaking. To address this, the Stern family hired master watchmaker and technical wizard, Jean Pfister from Tavannes Watch Company as their new Technical Director.
Jean Pfister had been the director of operations at Tavannes Watch Company, which at he time was the fourth largest watchmaker on earth. Pfister was appointed as Chief Director of Patek Philippe and undertook a comprehensive overhaul of Patek Philippe workshops, transforming them into highly vertically integrated facilities with highly modernized workshops. Jean Pfister is pictured below in 1950 at Patek Philippe with master watchmaker, André Zibach who is reviewing a réglage bulletin. André Zibach, was an award winning watchmaker from Kew and Geneva Observatory Competitions beginning back in 1929, and among other impressive achievements he invented the Gyromax balance.
By highly integrating and modernizing Patek Philippe this allowed them to internalize to the production of their own "in-house movements", and among other achievements Pfister developed reference numbers while prioritizing accuracy and precision manufacturing techniques. Pfister played a critical role in designing and developing significant Patek Philippe Reference models like the Reference 96, 1518, 1526, 2499 and 2524.
Jean Pfister is pictured below in 1959 celebrating with Patek Philippe President, Henri Stern at his retirement party in Geneva. When Pfister retired he had been serving as Chairman of the Board, and he had completely transformed Patek Philippe into a world-class Manufacterer.
Henri Stern once said:
"That’s where I had the very good fortune to meet Jean Pfister. He was the same kind of man as my father. Both believed in the importance of moral principles and could say no to any kind of temptation—both in difficult as well as in good times. They made a big impression on me in terms of having a moral standpoint. In this context, my father always used to say: Some people can be bought, others never, no matter how high the price being offered."
1954 Triple Date
Platinum Perpetual Calendar
This Platinum Patek Philippe was manufactured in 1954 and later sold in 1956. It features black hard-enameled Breguet numerals which give this watch a very unusual and exclusive look since it is the only known version of this watch with this elegant marker style. I first wrote about this stunner in 2011 on PatekMagagazine.com.
It is one of only two known platinum versions of the 2497 that are documented. According to Christie's it is commonly believed that there are NO Patek Philippe vintage perpetual calendar watches made out of platinum that were made between 1941 and the mid 1980s. This includes the Patek Philippe References 1526, 1591, 2438, 2438/1, 3448, 3449 and 3450.
Black Dial Haile Selassie
In case you haven't notice, I am madly in love with Patek Philippe's triple date moonphase models, and I will be the first to admit my favorite are the black face models, as they have a much more nighttime, formal vibe.
1954 was obviously a very good year for Patek Philippe as they created this stunning beauty. I first wrote about his model back in 2015, which features a very interesting back story.
I just can't seem to get enough of the exquisite beauty.
In the 1960s Patek Philippe specialized in making ultra precise atomic clocks that were used in Airports, and even made clocks for Rolex which were used in the Rolex factories. We see Henri Stern, with his ever present smoking pipe in hand, in the photo below with an American vendor for their Atomic clocks.
With his son Philippe Stern by his side, when the quartz crisis hit in the 1970s and nearly destroyed traditional Swiss watchmaking, Henri Stern made a crucial decision. Even though Patek had participated in early quartz development with the Beta 21, he chose to double-down on mechanical watches. This was supremely ironic as Henri Stern said he was much more fascinated by the precision of electric quartz watches. Speaking of Henri Stern fascinations, he was never without his pipe in hand, and he constantly smoked, and in the photo below we see an ashtray nearby.
While much of the industry abandoned traditional watchmaking, the Stern's believed in preserving Patek Philippe’s heritage, craftsmanship, and artistry. That commitment shaped the company’s direction for decades to come.
NAUTILUS
Fifty years ago, in 1976 Philippe Stern launched the famous Patek Philippe Nautilus, which the name of Captain Nemo's Submarine in the classic 1870 Jules Verne science fiction book titled, 20,000 Leagues Under The Seas. In 1976, Alan Banbery who was a Patek Philippe executive was so inspired by the U.S. Navy Nautilus Submarine which was famous in the press at the time, he was decided to name this new watch designed by the legendary Gérald Genta, as The Patek Philippe Nautilus.
Rolex famously mentioned the Nautilus Submarine in the Submariner ad pictured below which was originally published back in 1966. This is purely speculation on my part, but I always perceived the Patek Philippe Nautilus as being their version of Rolex Submariner diving sports watch.
Ironically, when Patek Philippe first unveiled the Nautilus Reference 3700/1 in 1976 to retailers (pictured above), they were initially bewildered and disliked the design. However, this sentiment swiftly shifted as customers embraced it.
The Nautilus watch demonstrated that steel could be a material of haute horology, marking the first stainless steel watch crafted by Patek Philippe since World War II, when gold jewelry was prohibited. In 1976, amidst the midst of the quartz crisis, Patek—renowned for its exquisite gold dress watches—introduced a daring, porthole-shaped sports model designed by the avant-garde Gérald Genta. This watch boasted 120-meter water resistance, an integrated bracelet, and its instantly recognizable rounded octagonal bezel adorned with an embossed dial.
The Nautilus basically invented the idea of quiet luxury sports watches—something you could wear with a wetsuit or a tuxedo. What started as a slow seller became the most desired timepiece on the planet, the ultimate symbol of understated success. The super cool Patek Philippe Nautilus Magazine ad below was published in 1982.
Patek Philippe Magazine advertising came up with some of the most brilliant ads like the one below that said: "A Patek Philippe doesn't just tell you the time. It tells you something about yourself." I specifically recall when I first saw this marketing slogan/message back in the 1980s, and I was so positively impacted by it, that I couldn't get it out of my head.
I have a funny personal adecdote to share with you. After I inherited my father's Patek Philippe, and after I had fallen in love eith the Refernce 3940, which is what I discuss next in this article, I couldn't stop thinking about how I wante to design my own Patek Philippe. At the time I owned an amazing art deco Longines curvex watch that was sold in 1928, and it was a "butterface model", meaning she had the most amazing curvy body, but an OK face. I put an amazing Patek Philippe brown crocodile strap on her, thus everything was amazing, execpt her face. At the time I was a young designer, so I decided to design the perfect face for her. I remember I actually called Patek Philippe headquarters in Geneva and told them the story. I politely asked, "If I send you the design for this ultimate looking Patek Philippe watch model, would you consider making it?" Much to my surprise, they said yes. I never sent in my design as I thought they might laugh at me. I'll never know what their response would have been, but it would have been interesting to find out. They probably had a good laugh and when the executive got off the phone he probably said, "I just got off the phone with another one of those crazy Americans who thinks he knows everything."
Close to a decade later, in 1985, Philippe Stern made another pivotal decision. He personally approved the launch of the reference 3940 perpetual calendar. It quickly became one of the most beloved and iconic Patek Philippe watches of the modern era. Philippe Stern rose to President in 1993.
Below we see a wrist shot taken in 2015 of Philippe Stern's personal Reference 3940 with the champagne dial, and it appears courtesy of Watchtime.
When I first saw the Patek Philippe Reference 3940 in the mid 1980s I became completely obsessed with how beautiful it was and ended up many years later purchasing one. I published an article back on April 2, 2011 here on PatekMagazine.com titled "How I Became Fascinated With Patek Philippe. My absolute Obsession with the Patek Philippe 3940 Moonphase." The image below is a scan the cover of a Patek Philippe brochure I obtained from Tiffany and Company in San Francisco, which showcases the 1st generation dial for the 3940, which was quickly updated. I seriously believe I spent/invested over 100 hours just staring at and studying that brochure. I think it took me more than a dozen years to come up with the money to purchase that magnificent Patek Philippe 3940.
A few years later, in 1985, Philippe Stern made another pivotal d
ecision. He personally approved the launch of the reference 3940 perpetual calendar. It quickly became one of the most beloved and iconic Patek Ph
Below we see a Tiffany & Company Patek Philippe magazine ad that features the Reference 3940 from 1989, which I also spent a great deal of time staring at and dreaming about. This article mentions Patek Philippe was celebrating their 150th Anniversary which was strategically planned out by Philippe Stern.
In this next photo we see Philippe Stern in 1989 holding up a rare Patek Philippe Reference 3947 Minute Repeater which was made to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Patek Philippe. The Reference 3947 is essentially a Reference 3940 perpetual calendar with and added complication that chimes beautifully, and if you look closely you will notice on the left side of the case it has a special pusher mechanism.
Each Refernce 3947 was personally acoustics-tested by Mr. Philippe Stern before leaving the workshop to make certain they met his ultra-high standards for pefection. The Patek Philippe Reference 3974 is widely celebrated for having a deeper, richer chime than modern, larger repeaters due to its case geometry. The Patek 3947 was made in yellow gold, pink gold, and platinum and are extremely expensive, and range in price today from $400K to $1 Million.
I first learned about Patek Philippe watches as my namesake grandfather, Jake Ehrlich Sr., wore a Patek Philippe pocket watch, which is in his vest pocket in the photo below (not visible). My grandfather Jake Ehrlich Sr., was a famous San Francisco based attorney, and the TV show Perry Mason was based upon his career.
My father, Jake Ehrlich Jr., also wore a Patek Philippe wristwatch, which I inherited after his passing. My father Jake Ehrlich graduated from the same law school his father attended, and that I also attended. My father was more of an artist, than a lawyer type, as am I, so after serving in the U.S. Navy as an officer during World War II, and going to law school, he became an agent in Hollywood at the William Morris Agency.
In 1949 Patek Philippe ran a newspaper ad from The Henri Stern Watch Agency that said: “Your great-grandson may wear this watch” as seen below.
There is a famous long running Patek Philippe slogan and add campaing that says, "You never actually ever own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation", and with my family that was true. The image below appears courtesy of Nick at AdPatina.com.
My Discoveries
Over all my years of publishing PatekMagazine.com I discovered and documented many famous people wearing their Patek Philippe watches. If you are not that familiar with Jake's Patek Philippe World, it might be interesting to know I have been publishing Jake's Rolex World @ RolexMagazine.com for the past 19 years straight, and beside being a serious horological historian, one of my trademarks is publishing superb photos of famous people wearing their Rolex watches, and over the years I have done the same thing here on PatekMagazine.com.
CLARK GABLE
Patek Philippe Refernce 1526
In the two photos below we see Movie superstar, Clark Gable sporting his Patek Philippe Reference 1526 Moonphase which was his primary watch for the last ten years of his life. I was the first person to document Clark Gable's Patek Philippe in my story I published on PatekMagazine.com back on August 28, 2011.
Clark Gable is probably best known for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War Epic Saga film Gone With the Wind. The American Film Institute, in 1999 named Clark Gable seventh among the greatest male stars of all time.
I included a photo of a similar model below that shows what Clark Gable's Patek Philippe model looks like.
This Patek Philippe Annual Calendar, Reference 1526 34mm beauty has a movement made in 1942 and the case was completed in 1948. It sold for $2,773,721 at Chistie's Auction House on November 16, 2009.
JOHN LENNON
Patek Philippe Refernce 2499
I was the first to document the fact that three of The Beatles wear Patek Philippe watches, beginning with my story I published back on October 9, 2011 that showed John Lennon rocking his Reference 2499:
The photo above of John Lennon was taken by Bob Gruen, and the image below shows John Lennon's actual Patek Philippe Reference 2499 which features a case back engraving from his wife, Yoko Ono, which reads "(JUST LIKE) STARTING OVER. LOVE YOKO, 10-9-1980, N.Y.C." Yoko gave John this watch as a suprise gift for his 40th birthday, and she also knitted the necktie he is wearing in the photo.
If Yoko ever decided to sell this watch at Auction, it's likely it would probably achieve the highest price in the history of watches. This image below of John Lennon's Patek Philippe Reference 2499 appears courtesy of Auctioniata via The New Yorker.
Philippe Stern
So now that we have covered the history of Patek Philippe, let's return our focus to the legendary Philippe Stern. Philippe is pictured below with his father, Henri Stern in a 1989 photo that appears courtesy of Europa Star.
ilippe watches of the modern era
Philippe is pictured below with his father, Henri Stern. In the photo below we see display cases that constituted at the time, the complete Patek Philippe Museum collection.
Philippe Stern became President of Patek Philippe in 1993 and during his leadership we saw some of the most important moments in modern Patek history: the legendary Calibre 89 in 1989, the opening of the state-of-the-art manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates that consolidated 14 Genevan factories, and most importantly, the Patek Philippe Museum in 2001—his personal dream project.
Back in 2013 I reached out to the Stern family and they graciously offered me a private tour of the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, and they even allowed me to take photos of the Patek Philippe Museum, which completely blew my mind.
I took the photo above and below, and it was filled with so much horological history and beautiful timepieces in was almost completely overwhelming—in a good way. The Patek Philippe Museum is as beautifully engineered and designed as their wristwatches, and it many ways is like the Disneyland of fine Horological History.
If you are ever in Geneva, I can't highly enough recommend visiting the Patek Philippe Museum. Below is a superb overview from WatchesTV that tours the Patek Philippe Museum.
Philippe Stern wrote the following introduction letter for his first catalog of the subject of the Patek Philippe Museum collection:
"I am very pleased to announce the publication of the first catalogue devoted to the collection ofPatek Philippe timepieces on display at the Patek Philippe Museum.This book is the result of many years of work. it documents and illustrates a representativeselection of the company’s watches from the time of its founding in 1839 until approximately 1980,offering an outstanding panorama of the production of Patek Philippe, which has continued uninterrupted for over 170 years.After having spent more than 40 years traveling, seeking out, and acquiring watches, I decidedmy collection deserved to be housed in a museum. the Patek Philippe Museum opened to the public in 2001.Its aim is to encourage visitors from Geneva, the rest of Switzerland, and abroad, to discover – or rediscover – our city’s great horological tradition, of which Patek Philippe watches are an intrinsic part.The museum pays homage to the watchmakers of yesterday and today who endeavour to perpetu-ate traditional skills and to transmit them to future generations.The Patek Philippe Museum collection will interest all collectors and lovers of fine horology, and particularly those who appreciate Patek Philippe watches. Its primary goal is didactic, its ambitionbeing to inspire the young people of the present and the future and to encourage horological vocations and promote the progress of haute horology. The help of several knowledgeable people who share my passion for fine horology proved invaluable.Without it, I could never have assembled this collection, which highlights some of the most exceptional Patek Philippe timepieces. I wish first to mention Mr. Alan Banbery, who worked tirelessly for over thirty years to constitute the core of the collection. Taking over this task, Mr. Arnaud Tellier enriched the basic collection over the course of ten years, acquiring major pieces and carrying out the huge task of research, documentation, and description that forms the basis of this catalogue.My sincerest thanks go to these two remarkable men. i also wish to express my gratitude to the many people who contributed to the production and completion of this book, and particularly to Sharon Kerman, who revised the descriptions of all the watches and finalised the layout."Philippe Stern
Honorary PreSidentPatek PhiliPPe, Geneva
Beyond the watches, Philippe Stern was a character. A passionate sailor who won the Bol d’Or on Lake Geneva seven times, an avid skier, and someone who genuinely loved life outside the factory walls.
He leaves behind his son Thierry, who now carries the torch as President, and a legacy that goes far beyond any single watch.
Thierry Stern was born in 1970 and joined Patek Philippe in 1990. In 1992, just like his father Philippe, and grandfather, Henri, went to work for the Henri Stern Watch Agency (HSWA) in New York, where he learned absolutely everything having to do with his business. In August of 2009 he took over as the President of Patek Philippe when he was 39 years old.
Philippe Stern wasn’t just a CEO—he was a guardian of something truly special. Rest in peace, Mr. Stern. And thank you!!!
The following beautifully written preface is from the 2004 Patek Philippe Collection Highlights Catalog, and showcases Philippe's amazing passion for horology:
The Poetry of Time
by
Philippe Stern
You are considering the purchase of a Patek Philippe timepiece. This makes you part of a community of people who strive for excellence and for whom a watch is more than a time-measuring instrument.
It also makes you one of the curators of a scientific and artistic tradition. You take possession of a precious object through which the spirit of venerable craftsmanship comes alive, an object that presupposes the frame of mind of a true art collector: judgment, esteem for value, and largesse.
Our current advertising campaign captures the essence: "You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation."
The longevity of our timepieces will some day give your descendants the exclusive pleasure of wearing one of the finest watches ever made. Our company has pursued a philosophy of excellence since 1839.
It was the year when Antoine Nobert de Patek, a sensitive aesthete, and Jean-Adrien Philippe, a watchmaking genius, inaugurated their workshops and promised each other that they would henceforth build the world's most exceptional timepieces. The foresight of the former and the inventiveness of the latter enabled them to successfully attain this goal.
Such an ambition requires the willingness to constantly surpass one's own expectations. As the undisputed virtuoso of horological complications, and since 1839 the creator of the world's most complicated timepiece, Patek Philippe has never ceased to extend the boundaries of the art of watchmaking.
The company's innovations, inspired by the poetry of time and acclaimed for the elegance with which they were executed, originate from the desire to introduce new timekeeping functions.
The outstanding precision of the movements, the superb workmanship, the precious materials, and the elaborate decoration techniques are essential elements of the Patek Philippe style which is truly inimitable, not least because of the way it combines complex mechanisms with classic design.
We have the enviable privilege of safeguarding the continuity of extremely rare crafts by recruiting promising talent and generously allocating resources to our in-house training centers.
Additionally, our designers and engineers, master watchmakers and gem setters, and all the other craftsmen or our workshops are in the position to take the time needed to accomplish their work, without pressure. This gives us the assurance that the perfection of our products is not marred by compromise.
You decision to acquire a Patek Philippe is also a decision in favor of authenticity. We cannot imagine a more fitting reward for our unerring quest for excellence. We have created this catalog to familiarize you with our products and help you select a watch that will become a most delightful part of your life.
Yours faithfully,
Philippe Stern
President, Patek Philippe.
Conclusion
If heaven exists, I am certain Philippe has joined his beloved father, and on a personal note, Philippe Stern has long been one of my great personal role models, up there with Rolex founder, Hans Wilsdorf, as well as Rolex Director, René-Paul Jeanneret, both of which I have written about extensively on RolexMagazine.com over the past 19 years. Who know, maybe one day in the future I might write a book about Patek Philippe history. In the meantime, this article is as close as I have come to doing so. I sincerely hope you enjoy reading and studying it as much as I enjoyed researching, and writing it!!!
