Patek Philippe was founded in 1839 by the Polish émigré Antoni Patek and, later, the French watchmaker Jean Adrien Philippe, inventor of the modern winding crown. The Geneva manufacture has been the reference for fine watchmaking ever since.

The brand is credited with many of horology's breakthroughs: the first Swiss wristwatch, the most complex complications, and legendary timepieces such as the Caliber 89, the most complicated watch in the world when it was created.

In 1976, again designed by Gérald Genta, the Nautilus was born: the brand's iconic, nautically inspired sports watch. The classical line is carried by the Calatrava, a model of understated elegance since 1932.

Every Patek Philippe is made under the exacting Patek Philippe Seal. As the brand's famous line has it: you never actually own a Patek Philippe, you merely look after it for the next generation.