It shouldn’t be surprising that a Patek Philippe holds the world auction record for a watch ($31.2 million for a Patek Grandmaster Chime, sold at Christie’s). Known for impeccable craftsmanship and some of the most complicated timepieces ever created, the brand is considered by many to be the height of fine watchmaking. Collectors simply love Patek Philippe watches.
The house was founded in Geneva in 1839 by Polish expats Antoni Patek and Franciszek Czapek. Czapek left the firm, and in 1845, Patek partnered with French watchmaker Jean Adrien Philippe. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Catering to the glitterati of Europe, the pair counted among their clients Tolstoy, Pope Pius IX and Queen Victoria, as well as Countess Koscowicz of Hungary, for whom they created the first Swiss-made wristwatch in 1868. They also had their eye on the American market and in 1851 entered an arrangement with Tiffany & Co. still in effect today.
During the Great Depression, brothers Jean and Charles Stern, who had previously supplied Patek Philippe with watch dials, bought the company, and it continues to be run by the Stern family today.
Under the Sterns, the house has developed some of its most famous models, including the Calatrava, an elegantly minimal dress watch introduced in 1932 and named for the Calatrava Cross (the company’s logo since 1887), and the Nautilus, the brand’s first sports watch, conceived by legendary designer Gérald Genta in 1976.
Despite the house’s longevity, it’s rumored that it has manufactured fewer than a million Patek watches, making each one all the more coveted. (The brand's pieces are understandably attractive to counterfeiters — make sure you know how to spot a fake Patek Philippe watch.)
Find authentic Patek Philippe watches, cufflinks, bracelets and more on 1stDibs today.
$19,980Sale Price|20% Off
Patek Philippe ellipse 18kt Yellow Gold Manual Wind Wristwatch.
By Patek Philippe
Located in Braintree, GB
Vintage 1960s–1970s Patek Philippe 18kt Yellow Gold Manual Wind Wristwatch. Crafted in solid 18kt yellow gold, the watch features a distinctive oval-shaped case with minimalist hour...
Yellow Gold
Patek Philippe Gondolo, Automatic, Ref. 3942, 18 Karat Gold, Full Set
By Patek Philippe
Located in Berlin, DE
This Patek Philippe watch is a prime example of the luxury and precision one would expect from one of the world's leading watch manufacturers. The watch is a true masterpiece of watc...
Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
$19,060
W 0.84 in D 0.22 in L 0.88 in
Patek Philippe Ref. 4461/1 – 18K Yellow Gold Bracelet Watch Sunburst Blue Dial
By Patek Philippe
Located in Antwerp, BE
A refined and highly elegant wristwatch from the esteemed house of Patek Philippe, reference 4461/1, showcasing the brand’s timeless design language and exceptional craftsmanship. Cr...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Patek Philippe "Grand Ellipse" Large Yellow Gold Self Winding Wrist watch
By Patek Philippe
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1970s Patek Philippe "Grand Ellipse" Wrist Watch 36 x 33 M.M. 18k Yellow Gold 3 piece case. Caliber 28-255 Automatic Self winding movement. Gold Satin Dial with Black Roman num...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Patek Philippe Ref. 4283/1 – 18K Yellow Gold Integrated Bracelet Watch – 1970/80
By Patek Philippe
Located in Antwerp, BE
An elegant and refined vintage wristwatch by Patek Philippe, reference 4283/1, crafted in 18K yellow gold and dating to the late 1970s–1980s. This sophisticated timepiece exemplifies...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Patek Philippe 18K Yellow Gold Calatrava 35mm
By Patek Philippe
Located in Scottsdale, AZ
Movement: Automatic, 27-460M Function: hours, minutes, seconds, month, date Case: 35mm round 18K yellow gold case, fixed bezel Dial: champagne index dial Band: 18K yellow gold mesh b...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Patek Philippe Vintage Golden Ellipse 18K Yellow Gold Wristwatch
By Patek Philippe
Located in Miami, FL
Skip to the end of the images gallery Skip to the beginning of the images gallery Vintage Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 18K Yellow Gold Wristwatch 1316301 Hardly worn, elegant vintag...
Yellow Gold
Patek Philippe “Ellipse” 18K Gold Dress Watch
By Patek Philippe
Located in Tysons, VA
This Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse reference 3545/2 exemplifies late-modern elegance in 18K yellow gold. The polished cushion-elliptical case frames a textured gilt dial with black b...
18k Gold
Patek Philippe Round Crystal Dial Leather Strap Wristwatch in Yellow Gold
By Patek Philippe
Located in New York, NY
A classic Patek Philippe wristwatch, featuring a round dial covered in crystal with hours and hands represented by yellow gold lines. Case and case back are made of 18K yellow gold. ...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Patek Philippe Yellow Gold 18K Wristwatch 1960S
By Patek Philippe
Located in Geneva, CH
Patek Philippe Wristwatch ref. 3503/5 in 18K Gold. CIRCA: 1967 CASE NUMBER: 2650836 MOVEMENT NUMBER: 1137844 REF.: 3503 CASE MATERIAL: 18K y...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage Patek Philippe Les Grecques Model 4731/2 18 Karat Yellow Gold Watch
By Patek Philippe
Located in New York, NY
Maker: Patek Philippe Model: Les Grecques 4731 / 2 Year: 1980s Material: 18k yellow Gold Dial: Gold Case Measurement: 18mm x 24mm Movement: Quartz Weight: 52 Grams Size: Fits Up t...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage Patek Philippe Gondolo Model 3894J 18 Karat Yellow Gold Watch
By Patek Philippe
Located in New York, NY
Maker: Patek Philippe Model: 3894J Year: 1980s Material: 18k Yellow Gold and Diamonds Dial: Gold Case Measurement: H 33 x W 30mm Movement: Quartz Weight: 42 Grams Size: Adjustable, F...
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage Patek Philippe 18k White Gold Model 3625/1G Haute Joaillerie Full Set
By Patek Philippe
Located in New York, NY
Maker: Patek Philippe Model: 3625/1G Haute Joaillerie Year: 1981 Material: 18k White Gold and Diamonds Dial: Onyx with Pavé Diamond and Diamond Baguette Bezel Case Measurement: 33mm ...
Diamond, 18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage Audemars Piguet 18 Karat Yellow Gold 33mm Diamond Integrated Woven
By Audemars Piguet
Located in New York, NY
Vintage Audemars Piguet Automatic 18k Yellow Gold 33mm Black Dial Diamond Markers Integrated Woven Gold Bracelet Automatic Movement Made in Switzerland 92 grams Fits up to a 7.5 in...
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Rare Vintage Omega x Gilbert Albert Frisson D'or Model 7148 Watch
By Gilbert Albert
Located in New York, NY
Rare Vintage Omega x Gilbert Albert Frisson D'or Model 7148 Watch Gilbert Albert (1930–2019) may not be a household name, but in the mid-20th century, he quietly reshaped the language of watches and jewelry. His fantastical, almost otherworldly pieces earned him worldwide recognition as an award-winning designer. Albert was not interested in decoration for its own sake. He wanted to capture nature as it is, without artifice, without distortion. After redefining case design at Patek Philippe, he carried that same daring sensibility to Omega, where, in the late 1960s, he produced some of his most radical work. Crafted in 1968 at the height of his creative power, the Frisson d’Or, a so-called “secret watch,” drapes across the wrist like a living sculpture. Forged in 14k yellow gold, its bracelet ripples with textures that evoke the beauty of coral, bark, and flowing water. The gilt dial lies hidden within, a secret revealed only in motion, like sunlight flickering between shifting coral. Anchored by Omega’s century...
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Vintage Audemars Piguet 18 Karat Yellow Gold and Onyx and Pavé Diamonds Watch
By Audemars Piguet
Located in New York, NY
Maker: Audemars Piguet Model: Dress Year: 1985-94 Material: 18k Yellow Gold Dial: Onyx and Pavé Diamond Case Measurement: 28mm x 32mm Movement: Manual Wind Condition: Very Good Weig...
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Launched in 1932, the model has become emblematic of quality craftsmanship and timeless design.
A true icon of the much-coveted category of World Time watches, this rare model represents an important milestone in the history of one of the brand's signature complications.
