The New York City exhibit aims to lift the veil on the world of elite watchmaking by recreating the experience of visiting the Patek Philippe manufacture, museum and salons in Geneva, an experience high on the list of any serious watch aficionado. Patek Philippe is the most revered of all watch brands, with the highest auction results and a reputation for perfection. The exhibition will be housed in a custom two-story structure within Cipriani 42nd St., in 10 separate rooms, including: a Theater room showing a film about Patek’s history; a Current Collection room, where pieces will be for sale, including several limited edition watches and clocks created just for the occasion; a Museum room showing highlights from the Patek Philippe private collection, including historic pieces not made by Patek; a U.S. Historic room, displaying pieces made for important American collectors, including James Packard, as well as some co-branded Tiffany pieces; a Rare Handcrafts Gallery, where artisans will demonstrate enameling and other metiers of watchmaking; the Grand Complications room, with live watchmaking demonstrations; and the Napoleon room, which recreates the magnificent ballroom-like main showroom of Patek’s flagship salon in Geneva.
America, an important market
According to Patek’s U.S. spokesperson Jessica Kingsland, this is the first time a separate structure has been built within the Cipriani event space at 42nd Street. “It wasn’t easy getting approvals,” she says. There will also be lectures and a special family day, probably tied into a children’s charity, says Kingsland, with more details to be confirmed. “By offering visitors an immersion inside the world of Patek Philippe, we want to share our passion for watchmaking and hope visitors will come out of the exhibition with a greater knowledge and appreciation of the art of watches,” says Jasmina Steele, Patek’s international PR and communications director.
“The importance of America to Patek Philippe can be seen through our history, from its earliest days when our founder Antoine Norbert de Patek made his first journey to America in the 1850s,” says Patek Philippe president Thierry Stern. “It is a tradition in my family that the owners of Patek Philippe train in the new world, following the path of my grandfather Henri who founded the Henri Stern Watch Agency in the Rockefeller Center in 1946. I trained in the U.S. when I started in the company. I am very proud that American visitors will be able to learn more about the historic and contemporary ties between our company and the U.S.”