Over the past 10 days, watch aficionados and novices alike made the pilgrimage to New York’s Cipriani for Patek Philippe’s The Art of Watches Grand Exhibition. The 178-year-old brand displayed the full breadth of its current collection alongside several rooms filled with historical pieces and live demonstrations of various watchmaking handcrafts, making it the largest public exhibition of its kind ever mounted outside of the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. At times the line for entry snaked down and around 42nd Street. We caught up with 10 visitors to glean their impressions of the show and see what was on their wrists.
By Kareem Rashed
Photos by Kareem Rashed
NAME: Nick Lipsett
HOMETOWN: Atlanta
WEARING: Patek Philippe Nautilus (Ref. 5711/1A-011)
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU SAW TODAY?
I enjoyed seeing the watchmakers and interacting with them, seeing their quality control, and how small the dials and the movements are.
WHAT DOES THE PATEK PHILIPPE BRAND REPRESENT TO YOU?
Very high quality but very understated, traditional. They’re the kind of watches that will go on for generations.
WHAT’S YOUR DREAM PATEK PHILIPPE PIECE?
I just managed to get mine about a month ago (Ref. 5711/1A-011)—that’s one of the reasons why I came. I’d always been interested in Patek but never thought I could get one, then this Nautilus came up. I’d like to get my wife one for our anniversary; she has her eye on Ref. 5724G.
NAME: Keith Fox
HOMETOWN: Harlem, New York
WEARING: Zenith El Primero Chronomaster Power Reserve
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU SAW TODAY?
The butterfly snuffbox (Ref. S0401) stands out. It was also cool to see all the old pocket watches, since we don’t see much of those these days.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WERE SURPRISED TO LEARN?
I thought that General Patton having a Patek pocket watch was pretty interesting. I never would have suspected that.
WHAT DOES THE PATEK PHILIPPE BRAND REPRESENT TO YOU?
Quality and craftsmanship … it’s the highest tier. It really doesn’t get any better than Patek.
NAME: David Kissel
HOMETOWN: Grand Rapids, Michigan
WEARING: Bulova Accutron
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU SAW TODAY?
I’d have to say the platinum World Time (Ref. 5131/1P-001)
WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU WERE SURPRISED TO LEARN?
The prices! I’m very surprised that there’s a watch out there for a million dollars. I didn’t realize watches could even get that high. Like, they were saying they have watches for $50,000, $100,000—that’s my mortgage. I bought a 2,300-square foot house recently, and it wasn’t as much as some of these watches.
WHAT’S YOUR DREAM PATEK PHILIPPE PIECE?
The World Time (Ref. 5131/1P-001) … these watches are timepieces, yes, but moreover they’re pieces of art.
NAME: Sue Lee
HOMETOWN: Great Neck, Long Island
WEARING: Chopard Happy Sport Oval
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU SAW TODAY?
All of the historical pieces, but I think my favorite is Queen Victoria’s pendant watch (Ref. 4536).
WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU WERE SURPRISED TO LEARN?
I was surprised to learn how old the company is, how much history they have.
WHAT’S YOUR DREAM PATEK PHILIPPE PIECE?
I think the diamond-set Calatrava (Ref. 4895R-001), I also really loved the “Jazz” Calatrava (Ref. 5089G-067).
NAME: Edmund de Guzman
HOMETOWN: Old Westbury, New York
WEARING: Patek Philippe Aquanaut (Ref. 5167A)
WHAT DOES THE PATEK PHILIPPE BRAND REPRESENT TO YOU?
I like the history of the company, unlike Rolex—and I have Rolexes—the idea that Rolex’s name came from an idea, just like “Oh, I’ll call it this” never made sense to me. It really comes down to Patek’s history, the way they document their pieces, they’re not on social media … just these little things that add up to make it a real luxury brand.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU SAW TODAY?
Probably the new Aquanaut Travel Time (Ref. 5650G). It’s amazing! If I could have another Patek piece, it’d be that, absolutely.
WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU WERE SURPRISED TO LEARN?
It was pretty cool to see all of the individual watch pieces, I’d never seen that before. Like, one of the engineers compared the thinness of the mainspring to a human hair … it was really amazing.
NAME: Fred Hulnick
HOMETOWN: Manhattan, New York
WEARING: Rolex Daytona
WHAT DOES THE PATEK PHILIPPE BRAND REPRESENT TO YOU?
Luxury, the finest quality, distinguished craftsmanship, and heritage.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU SAW TODAY?
I loved all the jumbo Nautiluses, especially the two-tone one (Ref. 5980-1AR).
WHAT’S YOUR DREAM PATEK PHILIPPE PIECE?
For my 40th birthday, I set out to get a Patek and was happy to achieve that … I got the steel Aquanaut (Ref. 5167-1A). If I could get another, I’d say the rose gold Nautilus (Ref. 5980-1R).
NAME: Jason & Jessica Rabinovich
HOMETOWN: Philadelphia
WEARING: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU SAW TODAY?
Either the Nautilus or the Aquanaut.
WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU WERE SURPRISED TO LEARN?
I’ve been to the Patek museum in Switzerland, so I’m pretty familiar with the brand and its history. I just came here to check out what they had going on. It’s great to see all of these pieces together and the space itself is pretty cool.
WHAT DOES THE PATEK PHILIPPE BRAND REPRESENT TO YOU?
Excellence in watchmaking.
NAME: Drew Paterson
HOMETOWN: Park Slope, New York
WEARING: Omega Seamaster F300Hz
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU SAW TODAY?
There are so many gorgeous watches, but I’d say the Aquanaut Travel Time (Ref. 5650G). I’m more interested in the ones you could see yourself wearing every day. The crazier ones are cool, but I don’t get into that as much.
WHAT’S YOUR DREAM PATEK PHILIPPE PIECE?
Any of their perpetual calendars, no specific reference. With most watch brands, perpetual calendars are the first thing I look at. It’s kind of my go-to, like if they do a beautiful perpetual calendar then they probably put in the time to make the rest really good.
WHAT DOES THE PATEK PHILIPPE BRAND REPRESENT TO YOU?
It’s more classified. I guess Patek kind of represents that lifestyle that is above the norm. But to a lot of watch collectors, I think it just represents quality … it’s the kind of brand you buy because of the watch, not the name. Patek is for the person who takes the time to understand and respect what goes into their watch.
NAME: Mac Richards
HOMETOWN: Upper East Side, New York
WEARING: Seiko Automatic
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU SAW TODAY?
The most impressive thing was probably the cloisonné enamel demonstration, with all the wires and things. That was something I’d never seen before.
WHAT’S YOUR DREAM PATEK PHILIPPE PIECE?
I really just love the simple Calatrava with the hobnail bezel (Refs. 5116/5119). There are so many amazing complications, but that’s a real, real classic. For my personal dream collection, that’d be it.
WHAT DOES THE PATEK PHILIPPE BRAND REPRESENT TO YOU?
Excellence in every aspect of watchmaking.
NAME: Walter Charnizon
HOMETOWN: Westchester County, New York
WEARING: Patek Philippe Aquanaut (Ref. 5167A)
WAS THERE ANYTHING YOU WERE SURPRISED TO LEARN?
This is actually my second time through the exhibition, and I just think it’s spectacular, all the way. This time I had a chance to sit with the watchmakers. To talk technical and have them demonstrate the artistry of what they do was really remarkable. One of the things that dramatically caught my eye was one of them showed this piece, this rod—I’m sure it has a much more technical name—but some sort of element that goes inside the movement and is visible through an exhibition back. But on the reverse of that, the side that’s never going to be seen by anyone other than the watchmaker, it’s also decorated with this hand-turned piece of art that some craftsman sits there and produces for each and every one of those individual pieces. The idea of creating something that’s never going to be seen, just to know that it’s in there, really resonated with me.
WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE THING YOU SAW TODAY?
It’s sort of divided into two categories: the kinds of pieces mere mortals can even begin to think about and the things that are just like one of seven and incredibly rare. If I had to pick one, it’d be the Calibre 89, which has so many complications it’s basically like a computer, or Joe DiMaggio’s watch (Ref. 130J), for the Yankee fan in me.
WHAT’S YOUR DREAM PATEK PHILIPPE PIECE?
The Calatrava (Ref. 5116R). There’s something about the elegance, the simplicity, the timelessness…it’s an icon and so emblematic of the brand. It’s just so perfect.