Philippe Stern Laid the Groundwork for Patek Philippe’s Dynamic Revival

The Stern family has upheld one tradition across generations, that any family member who intends to join the business must work their way up and acquire some knowledge of each department. This is not merely an exercise in humility, but to appreciate that the core resource of the company are its people and their expertise. Philippe Stern started out working in the Henri Stern Watch Agency, the distribution subsidiary for Patek Philippe in the United States. He returned to Geneva in 1966 where he was placed across every department. From managing supply chains to handling customers in after-sales care, he acquired an overview of how each division interacted, and how executive decision-making impacted them.

As any wise businessperson will know, there are no simple solutions to industry-wide crises. Even as demand shrank for some types of watches, it grew in others. Luxury sports watches were gaining in popularity, and a chance encounter between Philippe Stern and Gérald Genta led to the release of the Nautilus. The collection was a first for Patek Philippe in many ways, and a break from the classic, plain-dialled watches in slim gold cases that occupied most of its catalogue. It acknowledged a generational shift in lifestyle, as dress codes relaxed and people embraced sportier interests. The Nautilus was a watch that followed one from the office to the yacht club.

The success of the Ref. 3450 set the stage for Philippe Stern to deliver an updated design language to its Grand Complications watches. These came first in the Refs. 3940 and 3970. The former was an ultra-thin perpetual calendar with analog display, powered by the Caliber 240 Q and a direct challenge to the digital display watches of the ’80s. The second was a perpetual calendar and chronograph watch, using the Lemania-based CH 27-70 Q and in a smaller case size than its predecessor, the Ref. 2499. It was a demonstration of Patek Philippe’s ability to craft finely tuned mechanical watches in a compact form (36mm diameter case and 8.5mm thick) without compromising on legibility or quality. They were also among the first high complication models utilising modern production techniques like pad printing. Even during the difficult retail environment of the 1980s, Philippe Stern persisted in developing Grand Complication models, in part to sustain its suppliers and partners.

Ultimately, one of Philippe Stern’s crowning achievements was his belief that mechanical watchmaking should not be an exclusive interest to a select few. He sought to reach audiences where they were and developed watches that spoke to them emotionally. He democratised Patek Philippe (in as much as a watchmaker like Patek Philippe can be democratised) to everyone. The Twenty~4’s development from a jewellery-inspired quartz timepiece to the Ref. 7340/1R, an automatic perpetual calendar model, is a result of Patek Philippe’s conscious nurturing of its diverse clientele over decades. He instilled a deep respect for the Genevan watchmaker across the globe, even among those who did not share an appreciation for Patek Philippe.