Patek Philippe's story begins in 1839, when Polish exile Antoni Patek founded a watchmaking workshop in Geneva with François Czapek under the name "Patek, Czapek & Cie." Patek had fled his homeland after the November Uprising of 1830, and watchmaking offered both a livelihood and a path into the noble Swiss craft. The workshop initially produced high-quality pocket watches sold to Europe's aristocratic families.
In 1844, Antoni Patek met French watchmaker Jean Adrien Philippe at the Industrial Exhibition in Paris. Philippe had invented the keyless winding mechanism, a watch wound by its crown rather than a separate key, a revolution in watchmaking. In 1845 Patek ended his partnership with Czapek, and in 1851 the company was officially renamed "Patek, Philippe & Cie." That same year, Queen Victoria purchased a Patek Philippe pocket watch at the Great Exhibition in London, marking the beginning of the brand's royal clientele.
Throughout the 19th century, Patek Philippe pioneered technical innovation: chronographs, minute repeaters, perpetual calendars, and eventually the most complicated watches in the world. In 1932, during the Great Depression, the financially strained company was acquired by the Geneva-based Stern family. This acquisition laid the foundation for the brand's independence and family values. Patek Philippe remains today the only independent major Geneva watchmaker still run by its founding family.
In 1932, Patek Philippe also introduced one of the most important models in its history: the Calatrava (Ref. 96). Inspired by Bauhaus design, this elegant, minimalist round dress watch established the standard for classic dress watches and is still produced today. In 1933, Patek Philippe completed the legendary Henry Graves Supercomplication for American banker Henry Graves Jr. With 24 complications, it held the record as the world's most complex mechanical watch until 1989, and sold at Sotheby's in 2014 for $24 million, the most expensive watch ever sold at auction at the time.
In 1976, Patek Philippe made a move that would reshape luxury watch perception: it commissioned famed designer Gérald Genta to design a steel sports watch. With its octagonal case, integrated bracelet, and horizontal-grooved "tapisserie" dial, the Nautilus (Ref. 3700/1A) became the brand's first luxury sports watch. Initially marketed with the slogan "One of the world's costliest watches is made of steel," the Nautilus is today one of the most sought-after watches in the world, with the longest waiting lists. In 1997 Patek Philippe introduced the Aquanaut for a younger audience; its rounded octagonal case and "Tropical" composite strap made it a modern classic.
Today Patek Philippe produces about 70,000 watches per year, roughly 1/15 of Rolex's output. This limited production underpins the brand's prestige. Waiting lists for the Nautilus, Aquanaut, and Grand Complications references at authorized dealers can reach 8 to 10 years. This scarcity has made the pre-owned Patek Philippe market one of the most liquid luxury watch markets in the world. Bedesten Watches has answered the demand for authentic Patek Philippe in Istanbul since 1999; Nautilus, Aquanaut, Calatrava and Grand Complications references are available in our collection.
