Antoine Norbert de Patek Jean Adrien Philippe / "Patek Philippe"

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The history of well-known company Patek Philippe has begun 160 years ago, in 1839 when to Geneva there has arrived the officer of the Polish cavalry Anthon Norbert de Patek, taking part in revolt during occupation of the Belvedersky palace in Warsaw. After it has been severely suppressed, Antoine de Patek, as well as thousand other Poles, being rescued from prosecution, has been compelled to leave the Native land. Some time it took lessons of painting from known landscape writer A.Kalama, and then has taken a great interest in hour business.

Having united with other Polish emigrant - watch-maker Francois Capek, Antoine de Patek registers the hour firm, which problem consisted in surviving in a severe competition to other Swiss stamps which already were by then recognised authorities of hour business. The young company gives the basic attention to design: partners buy mechanisms from the best manufacturers and place them in own cases.

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In 1845 Capek departs from affairs, and Antoine de Patek as a result of searches of the new partner gets acquainted with Adrienom Phillip - the talented French watch-maker who posessed the revolutionary invention in hour business - working out of the mechanism got without the aid of a key. Partners have sworn to devote the lives «to creation only the best and expensive watch». Since then the exclusive design, expensive materials, perfection and accuracy of the most complicated mechanism collected manually, distinguishes all without an exception hours of legendary firm Patek Philippe.

As Adrien Phillip "has learnt" a second hand to move jerky, counting every second, has thought up the mechanism which has allowed later to create the automatic sentry podzavod, and has designed the device for adjustment of a course of hours.

The unique archive is stored in Geneva headquarters Patek Philippe from 800 books in which all history of creation and the further destiny of all hours Patek Philippe since 1839 and to this day is traced. In records the hours belonging to the Lion to Nikolaevichu Tolstoy and Peter Ilichu Tchaikovsky are noted; a pocket watch knjazhny Ekaterinas Dolgorukoj - to a beloved and subsequently wives Alexander II, hours, there is no time belonging to two greatest scientists-physicists: to Albert Einstein and Marie Curie, and also the Victoria grown fond to the queen on the World's fair of 1851 the gold hours-medallions decorated by dark blue enamel (under colour of eyes of the queen) and the facets decorated with brilliants "rose".

At the same exhibition in London hours Patek Philippe have been recognised the most perfect. It was not only huge honour, but also very favourable advertising course - after an exhibition the quantity of clients Patek Philippe has increased in tens times.

Patek Philippe - one of so-called Geneva hour barons, and in Geneva it is located not only company headquarters, but also all capacities. An inscription «Geneve» on a dial of all Patek Philippe - not simply geographical instructions of a site of firm, but also a special sign for experts. Such inscription and special stamp Geneva Seal on the mechanism the hours, passed bear only check «the Bureau of the facultative control of hours in Geneva». «The Geneva brand» is put exclusively on hours definitively collected both adjusted in canton Geneva and consisting at least half (in money terms) from the details made in the same place. «The Geneva brand» proves to be true applied on hours the certificate and is, perhaps, the higher distinction for a Swiss watch.

C 1932 and to this day the company is headed by representatives of a family Stern, and the name of the president and the owner of firm Patek Philippe Phillip Stern has passed under accompaniment of infinite conversations about development of the hour industry, present head Patek Philippe never connected the future with family business.

Phillip has chosen economic faculty of the Geneva university, and after its termination two years were studied in Germany by computer business. Nevertheless the offer of the father to work at the New York office of the company it was pleasant to Phillip. Being engaged in affairs of firm in America, he has unexpectedly found out in itself(himself) bent for to hour business and has definitively decided to devote it all further life. Today Phillip Stern's children - son Terri and daughter Christina - work in family business. One of the most esteemed traditions in a family - for the twentieth anniversary to present to the child in a gift hours Patek Philippe.

On the company bill - numerous records of accuracy, 15 large patented workings out. Recently the new factory has been constructed that the company could supervise completely all process of manufacture of hours up to the tiniest detail. Today all process of assemblage of hours passes exclusively at factory Patek Philippe, unlike many Swiss hour firms buying various details of hours at other factories. The firm itself raises the masters: experts Patek Philippe, raise the skill at special school of the company.

After all on working out of the most simple man's hours leaves about nine months, and the most difficult in the world hours «Calibre 89» have demanded laborious job within 9 years. Clearly, why firm categorically against service of the hours somewhere, except as at the past special training of watchmakers. A whole hours Patek Philippe are issued by small parties (all about 20000 copies in a year), that absolutely corresponds to company philosophy: to create perfect and perfect works of art, instead of the serial device for time measurement.

Collection Clatrava was issued for the first time in 1932, since then the classical severity of hours Calatrava remains actual more than 60 years. The collection name was given by the ornamental cross Calatrava which has become by an emblem of firm Patek Philippe.

Patek Philippe - the owner of one of the most desired for the manufacturer of hours of world records. Patek Philippe has created the most expensive hours per the world. «Henry Graves» Supercomplication - a pocket watch with 24 various complications, created in 1933, in 1999 has been sold for 11 million dollars.

The most unusual hours Patek Philippe consider till now Sky Moon Tourbillion. On a dial the map of the star sky is represented. The Northern hemisphere firmament rotates counter-clockwise, I show angular movement of stars rather meridialnogo passages of Sirius. Patek Philippe Sky Moon is really an astronomical clock. The difficult astronomical indicators representing located friend over the friend sapphire disks, rotate with various speed. Not without reason masters Patek Philippe name this mechanism the most difficult for all history Patek Philippe which totals more than 160 years.

Last years the collection of hours Patek Philippe has replenished with very original female models. One of them - Twenty-4. Patek Philippe Twenty-4 is a luxury in the display most calling it. All models of this collection are executed from white gold and completely covered by brilliants. If to count gross weight of all brilliants at one o'clock it is necessary approximately 10,14 carats.

The unique design is main property Nautilus. Legendary hours Patek Philippe which case is executed in the form of the rounded off octagon - under the form of a ship window. Nautilus are the most reliable hours Patek Philippe as their case is cut out from an integral ingot of gold or steel bruska. Under protection of such case the thin mechanism is strongly hidden.

In May, 2004 Patek Philippe has let out the first sports hours. It is necessary to tell, that the steel case hides under itself one of the best mechanisms with avtopodzavodom which have been awarded by the Geneva press. Thus Aquanuat differs high water resistance - to 120 metres. The dial of these hours especially attractively looks. Specially for Aquanuat designers Patek Philippe have developed the original form of the figures executed from white gold, and the form of arrows (from this precious metal).

It would seem, at a present status of economy manufacture of exclusive hours will come in decline. But according to the review published in the newspaper «Financial Times» (March 2001ã.), nesmotrja decrease in sales of jewelry (at that time), in manufacture of hours is observed year of a great demand. By an estimation resulted in «Financial Times», company Patek Philippe cost is equaled approximately $900 million (983,5 million euro). Nevertheless, nobody is going to it to sell. Ability to keep aloof from global conglomerates means, that Patek Philippe can continue to make hours per rather small volumes - 23 thousand unique mechanisms a year. The company is happy with this figure.

Calibre 89 - the most difficult hours per the world.

On creation «Calibre 89» 9 years - 5 years of scientific researches and on manufacture of details and assemblage were required 4 years. This astronomical clock, in the case from gold of 750 tests with two dials, 24-mja arrows and 8 indicator disks, weighs 1.1êã, from which 500ãð - the case and 600ãð - the mechanism. The case has diameter 88.2ìì and the general thickness with glass 41.07ìì. Hours «Calibre 89» 1728 detail, switching on 184 gears contains, 61 bridge with platinum, 332 screws, 415 axes, 68 springs, 429 mechanical parts and 126 stones.

Among 33 functions there are some especial: for example, eternal and solar calendars have six devices, showing century, decade, year, date, month, day, and also leap-year. The solar calendar considers a 400-year-old cycle which is switching on all leap-years with 2000 on 2400, with 2400 on 2800 etc. T e. Theoretically Calibre 89 can go without change-over till 27 century, yet it is not required to replace a disk specifying centuries.

Other remarkable function is the religious calendar specifying day of Sacred Easter till 2017. This function is unique and is patented Patek Philippe. Hours also show a sidereal time which is based in a terrestrial orbit in relation to a hypothetical point in space, located on infinite removal from the Earth. Hours of triumph use the Sun as a reference point. Star second is equivalent 0.997296 solar seconds, and additional function Calibre 89 allows to count time from star in solar and on the contrary.

Among rare functions it is necessary to note and «Time Equation» - the function invented by firm Breguet. This function allows to count a difference between true astronomical and standard time because the astronomical length of days fluctuates from 23 o'clock 44 minutes till 24 o'clock 14 minutes, and only 4 times in a year is equal to 24 hours.

Hours combine also repetir Grande Sonnerie with 4 various melodies, a split-chronograph, turbijon, the second time zone and moon phases, and that at all is not hour function - temperature. Hours also specify rising and sunset time and show a map of the varying night sky over Geneva. Basically, this map can be altered under any city in the world.

These unique hours are let out all in four copies from yellow, white and pink gold of 750 tests, and also from platinum. On some sources, all of them are in hands of one collector, and only the prototype of these hours is in museum Pater Philippe in Geneva.