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.
Vintage Patek Philippe Wristwatch 18KT White Gold, Circa 1980's
By Patek Philippe
Located in Braintree, GB
A vintage Patek Philippe wristwatch crafted in solid 18KT white gold, dating to the 1980s and presented with its original integrated bracelet. The watch features a refined square cus...
18k Gold, White Gold
Vintage 1970s Patek Philippe Calatrava 3563-3 18K WG Auto Gubelin Dial 35 mm
By Patek Philippe
Located in New York, NY
The Art Of The Second Signature A retailer's signature on a Patek Philippe dial elevates a watch from a piece of fine watchmaking to a specific historical object. This Calatrava, do...
White Gold
Patek Philippe Calatrava 3588-1 18K White Gold Silver Dial Automatic 35mm
By Patek Philippe
Located in New York, NY
The Retailer Stamp Of Approval The Calatrava has been the purest expression of Patek Philippe's dress watch identity since 1932. It is a design language built on restraint and perfe...
18k Gold, White Gold
Patek Philippe Calatrava Travel Time 5134P Platinum Watch W/Archives
By Patek Philippe
Located in Great Neck Plaza, NY
The Patek Philippe Calatrava Travel Time 5134P-001 is an exquisite luxury watch that exemplifies classic elegance and sophisticated functionality. Its 37mm platinum case exudes opule...
Vintage Patek Philippe Hour Glass 2468 Silver Dial Watch
By Patek Philippe
Located in Mayfair, London, London
This 22 mm vintage Patek Philippe Hour Glass in yellow gold is in fine condition. Features a silvered dial with a small seconds display at 6 ...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mercedes Stainless Steel Post WWII Vintage Wrist Watch
Located in Mount Kisco, NY
In mint condition, enjoy this post WWII Style Mercedes Winder 32mm Men's Wrist Watch. With a pristine linen face, the gold tone hands and matchstick indexes are sleek and easy to rea...
Stainless Steel, Steel
Patek Philippe Calatrava 5022G White Porcelain Dial 18k WG Manual Winding
By Patek Philippe
Located in SYDNEY, AU
SKU 2322 Brand Patek Philippe Model Calatrava Reference 5022G Dial White Porcelain Dial Case 18k White Gold Bracelet Strap Diameter 33mm Movement Manual Winding Serviced Yes Box No ...
Vintage Certina Men’s Watch – Ref. 569127
By Certina Watch Company
Located in London, GB
Classic, reliable, and unmistakably Swiss, this vintage Certina men’s watch is a fine example of mid-20th-century craftsmanship. Known for precision and understated elegance, it’s a ...
Silver
$270,000
W 1.15 in D 0.48 in L 2.01 in
Patek Philippe 5101P 10-Day Tourbillon Platinum Watch Original Strap
By Patek Philippe
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
The Patek Philippe Reference 5101P 10-Day Tourbillon is a masterpiece of mechanical sophistication and understated elegance. Crafted in solid platinum, its distinctive rectangular ca...
Platinum
Vintage Patek Phillipe Platinum and Diamond Ladies Wristwatch Ref. 3128
By Patek Philippe
Located in New York, NY
This vintage Patek Philippe ladies wristwatch is an exceptionally elegant and highly collectible timepiece, combining the prestige of one of the most revered names in horology with t...
Diamond, Platinum
Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 3583 / 1 White Gold Gents Wrist Watch
By Patek Philippe
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1980 Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse Reference 3583 / 1 Wrist Watch, 34 x 26 M.M. 18k White Gold 3 piece case, 18 jewel mechanical, manual wind nickle lever movement , original W...
18k Gold, White Gold
Patek Philippe Calatrava Vintage Ref 2545 Yellow Gold Mechanical Wristwatch
By Patek Philippe
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1950s Patek Philippe Calatrava Reference 2545, 32 M.M. 18K yellow Gold 2 piece case with Water Proof Back, 18 Jewel, Caliber 12-400 Mechani...
18k Gold
Patek Philippe 3998 Caltrava Yellow Gold Automatic Wrist Watch
By Patek Philippe
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 2000 Patek Philippe Wrist Watch 18k Yellow Gold 34 M.M. 3 piece Water Resistant case, Automatic self-winding movement. Rhodium-plated, fausses cotes decoration, straight-line lever escapement, mono-metallic balance adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions shock absorber, self-compensating flat balance spring, index regulator, 21K gold rotor. Silver Satin Dial with Raised Gold Markers, Gold Hands and a Sweep Seconds hand, Calendar window at the 3 position. Original Patek Philippe Black...
18k Gold
Patek Philippe "24" Ladies Steel and Diamond Quartz Wrist Watch
By Patek Philippe
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 2010 Patek Philippe "24" Reference 4900 / 10A-001 Wrist watch, 30 x 25 M.M. 2 piece Stainless Steel case with Factory set Diamonds, Sapphire Crown, Quartz movement, Gray Dial w...
Diamond, Steel
Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref 2449 Yellow Gold Manual wind Vintage Wrist Watch
By Patek Philippe
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1950-1955 Patek Philippe Calatrava Reference 2449 Wrist Watch, 35 M.M. diameter x 9 M.M. thick 18k Yellow Gold 2 piece case, 18 Jewel Caliber 12-120 PS Mechanical, manual wind...
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Patek Philippe 3322 Ladies Yellow Gold Mechanical Wrist Watch
By Patek Philippe
Located in Chicago, IL
Circa 1970s Patek Philippe Reference 3322 Wrist Watch. 16 x 20 M.M. 18k Yellow Gold 2 piece case with hand Texturing, 20 Jewel Mechanical, manual wind Nickle lever movement, Patek Ph...
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.
