Ever wondered about the history of luxury watch makers Patek Philippe?
Patek Philippe has a long history and started when a Polish watchmaker by the name of Antoni Norbert Patek began making watches in 1839 in Geneva, along with a fellow Pole named Franciszek Czapek. The company might have been known as Patek and Czapek (kind of has a nice, symmetric ring to it, doesn’t it?) but the two separated in 1844, when Patek went on to partner with French watchmaker Adrien Philippe. Patek Philippe Co., as we know it today, was founded in 1851. They made their first wrist watch in 1868, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Patek Philippe watches have sold for record prices in auction houses around the world and are undoubtedly a symbol of high social status and wealth. They were the watch of choice for Queen Victoria and her consort, Prince Albert, and Patek Philippes have been worn by royalty, political leaders and rulers ever since.
Nothing says “I’ve made it” like a luxury watch. But what really says “I’ve made it” is when you have a luxury watch named after yourself. Here are a few of our favorite watches named after celebs:
Jean-Claude Killy Rolex Dato-Compax – Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy was unbeatable in alpine skiing in the late 1960s. He won all three downhill events at the 1968 Winter Olympics in Grenoble, France, and also won gold in the World Championships. As well as a Rolex, he’s had a ski area in the French Alps named after him. We think that’s pretty good.
“Paul Newman” Rolex Daytona - Paul Newman was a successful jack of all trades, as an actor, entrepreneur, film director, car racing buff, and humanitarian. His successes include winning an Academy Award for the Martin Scorsese film The Color of Money and co-founding the very delicious Newman’s Own range, which sends all profits to charity.
Steve McQueen Heuer Monaco – Steve McQueen was a pretty darn cool actor, and it makes sense that he was nicknamed “The King of Cool”. He starred in classics like The Magnificent Seven and The Great Escape, and in 1974 he was the highest paid actor in all the world.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hollywood star turned Governor of California, swears by Audemars Piguet, a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer founded in 1875. In recent years, the Austrian hulk has become synonymous with the brand, endorsing it wherever possible. Last month, he was at a New York gala benefit honoring Francois-Henry Bennahmias, President and CEO of Audemars Piguet North America, among others, who supports the Governor’s programs for at-risk children. The highlight of the evening was a Sotheby’s auction of a pre-sale Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Legacy timepiece, scheduled to have a general release in March 2011. The auction raised over $500,000.
When I was six years old, I was presented with my very first wrist watch. I felt like I had truly become an adult; I could coolly check the time myself or tell passerbys the time if they happened to ask. The watch I was given was a Quartz; my mother, who wore a silver and gold Quartz herself, told me this was one of the best value, best quality, and most precise watches around. I remember my first Quartz well; it had a pink plastic rim and a comfortable cloth wrist band which was pink with multi-colored flowers on it. When I entered junior high, my parents gave me a delicate Quartz with a glossy dark brown crocodile-print wrist band, and I wore it throughout high school; it was my lucky charm. Now that I’m an adult, it’s no surprise that I’m still wearing a Quartz, one very much like the one my mother used to wear.
Watches are amazing devices which came about in the 15th century, evolving from spring driven clocks. A Mr Peter Henlein is credited with the invention of the first pocket watch in 1511.
People started wearing timepieces in the 16th century in Europe and they were weighty things: they were somewhere between the size of a regular clock and the size of today’s watches. These watches were generally fastened to clothing or worn around the neck. Did they have a glass cover? Nope. They were generally covered with a little brass door, which you had to open up to check the time, which was usually just marked with an hour hand and not overly accurate.
In the 1600s, men started wearing watches in their pockets, but women continued to use them as pendants on their clothing. In the late 1700s, in the age of the Enlightenment, watches developed in leaps and bounds as scientists gave them the attention they deserved. In the 20th century, watches become more and more standardized, and in 1969, the Quartz watch was born, revolutionizing watch technology.
Celebrities just can’t get enough of their luxury watches. Why? Luxury watches exude style, quality and function and they scream power and success – they’re a status symbol. Famous singers, actors, musicians and sportspeople can be seen casually wearing Rolex, Omega, Christian Dior, Jaeger LeCoultre and other watches that cost thousands of dollars.
Actor John Travola of “Grease” fame wears a Breitling Navitimer watch, one of the world’s greatest cellists Yo-Yo Ma wears a Rolex Datejust watch, and the eternally young-looking Leonardo DiCaprio wears a Jaeger LeCoultre Master Minute Repeater watch that will set you back over one hundred thousand dollars.
Tennis pro Roger Federer, who has won more grand slam titles than any other male tennis player in history, is one of the faces of Rolex. Check out Roger playing tennis in a suave suit and pricey timepiece in the Rolex advertisement which aired during Wimbledon 2010:
I loved the original Knight Rider series when I was a kid in the 1980s, and have been talking to my watches ever since. I have yet to summon a sympathetic, listening Trans-Am by doing so, but that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped hoping. (KITT, if you’re out there…)
If you’re feeling nostalgic, Casio makes a couple of inexpensive calculator watches that take us back.
Tired of boring luxury watches that all look the same? Looking to inject some playfulness and adventure into your style? Check out IWC’s Big Pilot Watch, which is classy and modern while also hearkening back to great men’s fashions of the mid-20th century. Everything about these watches is BIG: big clock face, big winding knob, big clock hands. They make a bold statement and are a lot of fun to wear with stylistic references to an airplane cockpit.
But these watches are also have all the quality craftsmanship and durability of subtler luxury watches. The watch also includes a 7-day power reserve, automatic Pellaton winding system,a Breguet spring, and smooth leather band. It weighs in at a hefty 122 g and has a wide face covered in cool blue sapphire glass that measures an audacious 4.6cm . The display includes the date and is housed in a soft-iron case to protect against magnetic fields. And as you might suspect, the watch is also resistant to changes in air pressure.
The Mark 11 that originally inspired the the current pilot’s watch went on to become one of the most famous watches in its day. Here’s to the return of the pilot’s watch!
Some of you may be thinking that this is just a silly question, that God, being omniscient and omnipotent, not only knows the time if He were asked, but is in fact, outside of time. The only way that He could be omniscient is indeed if He were outside of this petty human concept that we identify as time and which we break down into three distinct shapes that accord to our own perspective: past, present and future.
But enough of this metaphysical discourse. If God wore a watch, I think he would have to wear something to complement his long flowing robes. And his hair. It would also have to be of the best materials, so sorry silver, but you’re out. God would only wear platinum or gold, and God with a gold watch would look a little cheesy, doncha think?
Okay, would it be water resistant? Of course! It’s God’s watch! You think it’s going to break if He wants to go for a swim? I think it would be a relatively simple watch, because God favors simplicity, doesn’t he? Maybe just the date and day of the week. And some diamonds. Come on, it’s God, he’s not going to skimp on the diamonds. God, if you’re reading this, can you give us a hint?
No one likes skin and bones, unless it’s the skin and bones of your watch, that is. It’s actually really cool to watch your watch work – all the cogs and wheels turning really gives you a sense of the craftsmanship involved in the making of your timepiece. Some skeleton watches are front and back, some are back only, some are luxury, some are everyday wear, some are sporty, and some are casual.
In deciding what kind of watch you want, it depends on what your daily needs are. Then take into account extraordinary activity like how often you encounter water, and how often you want to wear your watch. You don’t have to spend a ton of money on your watch to enjoy it either. Many skeleton watches today can be had for around $100.
These watches are attractive because they are different, and are fascinating to watch. Be careful, though! You don’t want to be caught staring at the beauty of your watch’s mechanisms all the time because people may think that you can’t wait for an event to end and take it as a sign of rudeness. Or they may ask to see your watch.
