A ballet of mechanism & subtlety at Patek Philippe
The story of Patek Philippe is the story of human aspiration, of what a pair of hands, craftsmanship, and a dreaming mind can create. There is also a sidebar of revering the fruit of those undertakings — in this case Patek Philippe watches, for there are not too many of them. The tale of the success of the world’s most prestigious watch brand begins and ends with this: the thing created, the watch itself.
Thierry Stern, president of Patek Philippe and the man behind the brand, is in Manila for the opening of the brand’s new boutique in Greenbelt 3, insisting that Patek Philippe is a production company — 80 percent of the staff is dedicated to the process of creation, while the remaining 20 percent (sales & marketing, etc.) is there to support that very goal. He also says how impressed he is with Filipino watch collectors.
Stern has met a number of them, enthusing how “they know not only about Patek the brand, but also about the technique, the movement, and how far we go when it comes to the tiniest of details.” He stresses, “For me, it’s a pleasure. You can see the passion. They proudly wear their cherished pieces, yet still looking for something new.”
The natural progression for this is to put up a boutique that not only has Patek Philippe timepieces in elegant glass shelves (with a Stern warning that “now you see them, but in a day or two they will be gone…” — scarcity being such seductive idea), but with the boutique also offering a concise history of being and becoming: how the brand was established, what it is today, and what would its watchmakers dream of next.
The store is all about storytelling. The space is deftly curated: an exhibition wall (with timelines and milestones of the brand) here, a plush sales salon (for inquiries about the pieces at hand) there. Stern reveals that it is one of his favorite Patek Philippe stores in existence.
Here’s a description of the boutique, which is representative of the brand’s dedication to superior craftsmanship: clients are greeted by a specially commissioned triptych — inspired by the exquisite cloisonne enamel decor of the Reference 20011M “Scarlet Macaw” dome table clock released in 2016. The boutique is accented by furniture imported directly from Switzerland; the Copper Choco and Tessera wallpapers brought in from France and the Netherlands, respectively; and the Grand Quai fragrance, specially created for the Paris, London and Geneva salons, an olfactory enhancement. No detail is left un-enhanced in this space.
Stern explains, “The new boutique will help to reinforce our presence in the Philippine market and improve clients’ experience of our brand. (This is the result of) a partnership in the country with Lucerne that started more than two decades ago.”
Emerson Yao, managing director of Lucerne, talks about the impressive new space: “The store reveals the understated sophistication that is characteristic of the Patek Philippe brand. Adorned with decorations from various watchmaking art and the subtle branding of the Calatrava cross, the interiors will captivate both watch connoisseurs and art aficionados. We are likewise extremely proud of its location to be alongside big brands in the luxury industry.” It is fitting, indeed; the newly renovated Greenbelt 3 exudes a more luxurious vibe.
About the brand itself, Yao reflects on what makes Patek, well, Patek. “As a family-owned and -run company, it is one of the most revered names in the watch industry. Patek Philippe continues to be at the forefront of technical innovation and its watches consistently fetch record-breaking prices at auction houses due to the limited and innovative pieces produced. These are all realized through the decisions the family takes with the long view in mind.”
Talking about the poetics of scarcity, Stern points out that they produce 65,000 to 66,000 pieces a year for the whole world. “But even if we had a million pieces, the shelves would still be empty. A lot of people are (yearning) to wear our watches and we cannot produce enough. This is why every store has to be very careful to whom it sells a Patek Philippe watch. Because we are about quality, not quantity.”
That explains the buzz on the opening day of the boutique. Same time two years ago, we all thought retail shopping would never be the same again — what with the power of the cursor and the add-to-cart button. But as Deepa Chatrath, general manager of Patek Philippe Southeast Asia, points out: during the pandemic, the strong brands became even stronger.
“Customers started reconnecting with and deepening their relationships with brands,” Chatrath says. “Patek benefitted from that.”
In the Philippines, she adds, there is a passionate market for Patek Philippe as well, composed of old and new clients. With other watch brands, there is usually one iconic model that all customers aim for. One watch to rule them all. In the end, there can be only one. But Chatrath feels that it’s not the case for Patek. “The scarcity in the market is real, but because of the breadth of our collection, the buying experience can be completely different. We design our watches around calibers. It is not just about the external aesthetics or the beauty of the watches, the complications are essential complications. We make Patek in the highest Genevan tradition; we never forget that watches are for timekeeping. I think the market is getting more and more interested in collecting in a different way — and not just acquiring that one sought-after model.”
Patek Philippe also avoids following the crazy whims of fashion, according to Jérôme Pernici, commercial and marketing director. “We have a lot of consistency in terms of styling,” he says. Just look at the Patek Philippe Calatrava, which was a beautiful watch in 1932 and which is still a beautiful watch in 2022, a brilliant piece of Bauhaus around one’s wrist, telling time in the most magnificent way possible.
It takes such breathtaking complexity to make something so beautifully simple.
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The launch of the Patek Philippe boutique at Greenbelt 3 coincides with another milestone of Lucerne. According to Emerson Yao: “This year marks the 40th anniversary of Lucerne, and we couldn’t be prouder to have been representing Patek Philippe in the Philippines for 24 of those years. When you think of Swiss luxury watches, you think of Patek Philippe.”
The Patek Philippe boutique is at Unit 03, ground floor, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center.
