Recently, I had the honor to host a wonderful event with Patek Philippe to celebrate their wonderful ladies watches in collaboration with Beyer, the oldest authorized watch and jewelry retailer in the world. The evening took place at Atelier Peter Nitz in Zurich Niederdorf.
On my wrist the beautiful complicated watch 4948R with annual calendar and moon phases.
Women and watches. It’s complicated! In today’s world, ladies are as active as men in business, social and many other life spheres. This has obviously an affect on their style, how they incorporate fashion into their daily life. There is indeed a huge trend in women being interested in complicated watches. On display at the event were many watch models combining function with fashion. Patek Philippe is the perfect choice for women who are intrigued by complications as much as those attracted by appearance.
From left to right: Philippe Meyer, Beyer Head of Marketing, Serge Forster, Patek Philippe Boutique Manager Zurich, my humble self, Peter Nitz, and Alexandre Pouly, Patek Philippe Area Manager.
Since Patek Philippe was founded in 1839, it has been devoted to female clients. Its pocket and pendant watches, lavishly decorated with refined artisanal techniques, attracted sophisticated female customers. Queen Victoria purchased a timepiece in blue enamel in 1851 at the London Universal Exhibition. The manufacture leveraged its craft with complicated ladies’ watches, creating the first Swiss-made ladies wristwatch for a Hungarian countess in 1868. The manufacture’s first chiming wristwatch in 1916 was a ladies’ five-minute repeater.
A growing demand for wristwatches over the ensuing decades allowed Patek Philippe to demonstrate affinity with female tastes by crafting many models and collections. In 1999, Patek Philippe released the Ladies Twenty~4, which proved an outstanding success. Its unique name showing that it is the perfect companion for any time of day or night. In 2018, Patek Philippe further developed the collection with a self-winding wristwatch. The Twenty~4 Automatic: a timepiece for modern, self-confident women with its sleek elegance complements every facet of daily life.
Understanding the savoir-faire that goes into a Patek Philippe watch is mind-blowing, whether ultra thin, simple or complicated, the precision of Patek Philippe movements fitted in manual winding watches is impressive. The same goes for the various self-winding movements with a number of high performance mechanisms. Even the quartz movements of Patek Philippe watches are built with the same high quality standards that apply to its mechanical movements. On top, from marquetry, gemsetting, guilloché, chainsmithery, and more, the specialist artistic techniques have a long and glorious history at the Swisswatch manufacture.
One of the reasons why luxury watches are typically so expensive is because the supply of many timepieces does not come close to matching the demand. The best and outstanding quality is at the core of watchmaking at Patek Philippe. You might accuse the brand of intentionally cutting supply to drive prices up, but in reality, their strategy is about keeping the value of their products high by retaining a sense of exclusivity.
During the past years, the luxury watch market has been booming and prices have been skyrocketing. Buying the right watch can be a great investment, and looking at recent auctions, the brand to invest in is by far Patek Philippe. The most expensive watch ever sold at auction worldwide is the Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 6300A-010, which fetched US $ 31.19 million in Geneva on November 9, 2019, and the most expensive pocket watch is the Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication, fetching US $ 23.98 million in Geneva on November 11, 2014. Until now, at least 101 watches have been sold at auction for over two million US dollars, and at least 160 watches have been sold at auction for over 1.5 million US dollars. Among the top 10 of these watches, eight are Patek Philippe watches.
Serge Forster, Patek Philippe Boutique Manager Zurich, in conversation with a guest.
If you are interested in buying a watch, I always recommend building a relationship with an authorized dealer of your choice, and accept that you may face significant waiting times to receive your dream model. Don’t forget, anticipation is the greatest joy. I am waiting myself for the Aquanaut Luce Ref. 5267-200A in olive green, see in the collage below.
Beyer Chronometrie on Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich is Switzerland’s oldest watch retailer. Eight generations of the Beyer family business have looked after the most beautiful aspects of time for more than 260 years. Since 2011, the first retailer-managed Patek Philippe boutique in Switzerland has been handled by Beyer. With a strong emphasis on tradition, you will get the best service and help in finding your dream watch.
During the event, I held a presentation about the newest fashion and watch trends that I will happily share with you to finalize your choice. Personally speaking, I have always tried to foster an understanding of the detailed craftsmanship that goes into a luxury product, be it a watch, a dress or a bag. Appreciating the work behind the product and seeing it as an investment for many years to come is sustainable shopping at its core.
That evening guests were invited to explore that leathercraft is an art form driven by a passion for exquisite materials and goods. Guided by master craftsman Peter Nitz, the ladies experienced how a tailor-made and handmade watch travel case is created. Peter and Julien explained the process and everyone was able to try the stitching themselves. Leather crafting, just like any other skill, requires not only practice but also the correct techniques upon which to properly build those skills. Peter Nitz covers all aspects of leather crafting and leatherworking.
Julien, who worked for Hermès in Paris before joining the Atelier Peter Nitz, is explaining the first steps of the stitching process.
In his atelier you can create exquisite bespoke luxury bags and leathergoods of your own with him and his team. You can also take private lessons or participate in group courses, either as a complete beginner or experienced craftsman to learn how to create a bag. Soon, Peter will open its first store in Zurich’s Niederdorf close to his atelier where customers can explore his line of bespoke and beautifully crafted handbags.
After having heard all about the newest color trends, the ladies had a lot of fun choosing the perfect color combinations for their handmade watch travel case they were gifted with. While enjoying great food and a glass of champagne, the ladies indulged in wonderful conversations with each other. Coming back to women and watches, it is actually not so complicated … we just want the best!
LoL, Sandra
Photos: Fabrizio Vignali @iziophotography for Patek Philippe and © Sandra Bauknecht
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With General Manager Mandarin Oriental Savoy Dominik G. Reiner and German Artist Paul Schrader
With Christoph Niemann at Tao’s
Tao’s Zurich
With wonderful Galerist Isabelle Bscher of Galerie Gmurzynska
Friends for a long time: Marco Diemer 
Handbag designer Peter Nitz with whom I hosted an event for Patek Philippe a few years ago.
Designer Peter Nitz with me
Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht, © Alain Nathan for the still life pictures