As heir to a great Geneva tradition, Patek Philippe is dedicated to preserving all the rare handcrafts that have been used to decorate timepieces for more than four centuries. What better way could there be to safeguard these ancestral skills for the future than by practicing them regularly? The result is exceptional pieces – pocket watches, wristwatches or table clocks – often one of a kind, that showcase these ne crafts on the brink of extinction, sometimes with the aid of the few specialists who still master the secrets of their guild. Engraving, or the art of transforming a watch-case into a jewel.
Enameling and its palette of sophisticated techniques. Guilloché work, with its elegant geometric patterns. Gem-setting and the magic of Haute Joaillerie. Wood marquetry, lending enchantment to a dial. Not to mention the creations that bring together several of these disciplines in a single breathtaking work of art. Blending age-old skills with contemporary inspiration, and technical prowess with artistic air, these masterpieces born in Patek Philippe’s workshops are helping to perpetuate noble traditions, while delighting connoisseurs and lovers of the very fine and rare.
A special selection of Rare Handcrafts timepieces was presented on the occasion of the “Art of Watches Grand Exhibition” in New York, giving visitors the opportunity to discover the aesthetic beauty and extreme complexity of these rare artisanal skills.
Dome Table Clock – cloisonné enamel, gold and silver paillons
“The Gold-Seekers”
A scene from the gold rush in the American West inspired the decoration on this unique piece in cloisonné enamel. To trace the outlines of the lively, detailed picture, with its prospectors and panning equipment and the majestic landscape on the dome, the enameller used some 16 m of gold wire measuring 0.2 × 0.6 mm in cross-section (0.15 × 0.6 mm for the faces) and an incredibly subtle palette of transparent, opaque and opalescent enamels in 78 colors. Enameled gold spangles form the nuggets in the pans, while silver spangles create the re ections in the transparent enamel of the water. Each enameled element required about six rings at temperatures ranging from 800°C to 850°C. Lastly, the picture was polished, using a technique known as stoning. The hour circle, whose hammered surface is reminiscent of raw gold, is embellished with black-enameled Breguet numerals. It frames a dial center guilloched under transparent sand-colored enamel, in a ne example of flinqué enameling. This piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND mechanical movement, rewound by an electric motor. Height: 213.5 mm. Unique piece.
Dome Table Clock – grisaille and cloisonné enamel, gold powder and gold and silver paillons
“Brooklyn Bridge by Night”
This fabulous dome table clock evokes all the magic of New York by night, with the famous necklace of lights on the Brooklyn Bridge reflected in the East River, while the Lower Manhattan skyline towers in the background. To achieve this subtle play of light and shade, the artist used the very rare technique of grisaille enamel au blanc de Limoges. Working with a tiny brush and a needle on a ground of black and blue enamel, he modeled the white enamel known as blanc de Limoges to obtain a subtle monochrome. He then used gold powder to pick out each window of the buildings. The sky is alight with 152 stars, comprising 142 gold spangles and ten stars painted with gold powder to obtain a range of effects. A full moon and a Milky Way composed of silver spangles enrich this poetic scene. The dial, inspired by that of the clock at Grand Central Station, has a central ornament in cloisonné enamel and specially designed luminescent hands. The hour circle was also designed expressly for this table clock, with painted white enamel Roman numerals on a black enamel ground, in a setting of champlevé enamel and hand-engraved stars. This unique piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND mechanical movement, rewound by an electric motor. Height: 213.5 mm. Unique piece.
Table Clock – flinqué enamel
“The Hour Circle”
As a tribute to the hour circle on dials and the rotation of wheels in movements, Patek Philippe has created a new type of table clock with an interplay of circles and rounds. It is a perfect manifestation of the Bauhaus principle that form follows function: uniquely, the table clock displays the time when viewed from above. The inimitable design is accentuated with small round feet that emulate the shape of the case. The case itself is decorated with flinqué enamel, a rare handcraft that produces beautifully orchestrated reliefs and dancing lights. Two domed ank elements made of silver are graced with a guilloched barleycorn pattern beneath blue transparent enamel. The silver dial is decorated with a guilloched undulated sunburst pattern beneath enamel of the same color. The striking form of the leaf-shaped hands and of the novel polished two-tier hour markers is echoed by the two-tier steel bezel ring around the dial and the hoops that accentuate the shape of the case. This piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND TABLE mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor. Height: 53.33 mm / ∅ 126 mm.
Table Clock – flinqué enamel
25001M
“The Hour Circle”
As a tribute to the hour circle on dials and the rotation of wheels in movements, Patek Philippe has created a new type of table clock with an interplay of circles and rounds. It is a perfect manifestation of the Bauhaus principle that form follows function: uniquely, the table clock displays the time when viewed from above. The inimitable design is accentuated with small round feet that emulate the shape of the case. The case itself is decorated with flinqué enamel, a rare handcraft that produces beautifully orchestrated reliefs and dancing lights. Two domed flank elements made of copper are graced with a guilloched barleycorn pattern beneath golden yellow transparent enamel. The copper dial is decorated with a guilloched undulated sunburst pattern beneath enamel of the same color. The striking form of the leaf-shaped hands and of the novel polished two-tier hour markers is echoed by the two-tier steel bezel ring around the dial and the hoops that accentuate the shape of the case. This piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND TABLE mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor. Height: 53.33 mm / ∅ 126 mm.
Table Clock – flinqué enamel
“The Hour Circle”
As a tribute to the hour circle on dials and the rotation of wheels in movements, Patek Philippe has created a new type of table clock with an interplay of circles and rounds. It is a perfect manifestation of the Bauhaus principle that form follows function: uniquely, the table clock displays the time when viewed from above. The inimitable design is accentuated with small round feet that emulate the shape of the case. The case itself is decorated with flinqué enamel, a rare handcraft that produces beautifully orchestrated reliefs and dancing lights. Two domed ank elements made of silver are graced with a guilloched barleycorn pattern beneath blue transparent enamel. The silver dial is decorated with a guilloched undulated sunburst pattern beneath enamel of the same color. The striking form of the leaf-shaped hands and of the novel polished two-tier hour markers is echoed by the two-tier steel bezel ring around the dial and the hoops that accentuate the shape of the case. This piece is powered by the caliber 17’’’ PEND TABLE mechanical movement rewound by an electric motor. Height: 53.33 mm / ∅ 126 mm.
Pocket watch – miniature enameling and hand engraving
“Yosemite Valley”
The spectacular natural beauty of the Yosemite Valley in California radiates from the miniature enamel, inspired by a painting, that decorates this pocket watch. To represent this majestic landscape with all its wealth of detail, color and reflections in water, the artist worked with a palette of 25 pure enamel colors and a number of blended shades, together requiring 20 rings at temperatures ranging from 810°C to 840°C. After the enameling, the border of the case back framing the picture was decorated entirely by hand with low-relief engraving and chasing; a delicate step, since the slightest slip of the hand could jeopardize the entire creation. More than 20 hours went into carving this decoration and the inscription “Yosemite Valley”. The dial, in opaque white enamel over yellow gold displays yellow-gold applied Breguet numerals. The bow is embellished with a hand-engraved decoration, while the crown is set with a green tourmaline cabochon (0.33 ct). This unique piece is accompanied by a hand-crafted yellow-gold stand repeating the scrollwork on the case. The stand rests on a foot set with a green tourmaline cabochon (0.38 ct), on a green marble base. This watch houses the caliber 17’’’ LEP PS manually wound movement, with small seconds. ∅ 44.1 mm. Unique piece.
Pocket watch – cloisonné enamel and hand engraving
“Wild Horses”
With its striking image of a herd of wild horses in full gallop, this pocket watch in white gold celebrates the art of cloisonné enameling. To trace the outlines of this scene pulsing with energy and focused on the head of the lead horse, the artist used some 130 m of extremely ne gold wire (0.05 mm). Next, to represent every tiny detail of each animal’s coat, muscles and expression, he worked with a palette comprising 50 shades of beige, brown and grey, combining these to obtain subtle gradations of color and perfect clarity of the different planes. This harmony of color extends to the dial in opaque grey enamel, complimenting the white-gold applied Breguet numerals and hand engraved hands. The border of the case back, the bezel and the bow are enriched with a hand-engraved motif, while the crown is set with a grey moonstone cabochon (0.58 ct). This unique piece is accompanied by a white-gold hand- crafted stand, resting on a foot set with a grey moonstone cabochon (0.33 ct), on a grey-veined white marble base. This watch houses the caliber 17’’’ LEP PS manually wound movement with small seconds. ∅ 44.1 mm. Unique piece.
Pocket watch – cloisonné enamel, miniature enameling and hand engraving
“Manhattan-Brooklyn”
The decoration on this pocket watch honors the close ties between two of New York City’s most emblematic boroughs, set either side of the East River. Its highly original composition presents the skyline of Manhattan in the upper area and below it, the skyline of Brooklyn, gently re ected in the water. Shown by day on the dial side, the same scene is depicted by night on the case back, in a splendid tribute to “the city that never sleeps”. To create these two scenes in cloisonné enamel enriched with ne details of miniature painting on enamel, the artist first used about two meters of gold wire of a thickness of 0.05 mm to outline the complex geometry of the buildings, and then a vast palette of 40 transparent, opaque and opalescent enamels to obtain the scenes’ stunning gradations of color. The bow is engraved with an art deco motif and hand-chased to accentuate the contrasts. An inverted brilliant-cut blue sapphire (0.1 ct) decorates the crown. This unique piece is accompanied by a white-gold, hand-crafted stand, comprising a hoop in the art deco style enriched with hand-chased details, and a hook set with a brilliant-cut blue sapphire (0.04 ct), the whole on a blue quartz base. This watch is endowed with the caliber 17’’’ LEP manually wound movement. ∅ 44.1 mm. Unique piece.
Pocket watch – hand engraving
992/111G “Pittsburgh”
An old illustration of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, showing its steamboats and bridges and the smoke billowing from its steelworks, inspired the decoration on the back of this pocket watch in white gold. To reproduce the effect of an old print the master engraver used the line engraving technique. His consummate skill is revealed in the sense of depth and detail, right down to the tiniest porthole, the inscription of the boat’s name and the reflections of light on water. Some areas of the engraving were then oxidized to heighten the contrasts. The dial, in opaque white enamel over white gold, is adorned with white-gold applied Breguet numerals. A hand-engraved pattern adorns the bow, and a faceted blue sapphire cabochon (0.39 ct) gleams from the crown. The engraving represents some 130 hours of work. This unique piece is accompanied by a white-gold hand-crafted stand resting on a foot set with a faceted blue sapphire cabochon (0.44 ct), on a grey- veined white marble base. The watch houses the caliber 17’’’ LEP PS manually wound movement with small seconds. ∅ 44.1 mm. Unique piece.
Pocket watch – miniature enameling
“Apsaalooke Sentinels”
Two Apsaalooke American Indians mount guard near their reservation on the enamel miniature decorating this beautiful pocket watch in yellow gold, inspired by a painting by Martin Grelle. To represent this scene, with its myriad hues and sense of perspective, the enameller worked with a palette of 19 pure colors and 15 blended colors. Proceeding by tiny deft touches, sometimes with a brush composed of a single hair, he has achieved an astonishing precision of detail, whether in the horsemen, their mounts, or the landscape. The background required 20 rings at temperatures ranging from 800°C to 830°C. The dial, in opaque white enamel over yellow gold, is adorned with yellow-gold applied Breguet numerals, while the crown is set with a briolette-cut red spinel (0.33 ct). A hand-crafted yellow-gold stand makes subtle reference to tribal decorations. Its upper part is hung with six mobile gold feathers embellished with four cornelian beads (0.67 ct) and terminates in a teardrop cornelian (0.68 ct). The stand rests on a foot set with a briolette-cut red spinel (0.34 ct), on a Kalahari jasper base. This watch houses the caliber 17’’’ LEP PS manually wound movement with small seconds. ∅ 44.1 mm. Unique piece.
Pocket watch – wood marquetry
“Bald Eagle”
A majestic bald eagle, the national bird symbol of the United States, swoops down to its prey on this pocket watch in yellow gold. To give this scene its astonishing realism, Patek Philippe turned to the art of micro wood marquetry, a demanding technique where the manufacture reigns supreme. The marquetry-maker cut out and assembled 271 miniscule pieces and 40 inlays, selected from 15 different woods of varying colors, to compose this tiny masterpiece. The yellow-gold dial was hand-guilloched in an intricate pattern suggesting plumage, and then coated with transparent blue enamel recalling the bird’s colors, in a perfect example of flinqué enameling. Gold applied Breguet numerals compliment this decoration. The crown is set with a briolette-cut blue sapphire (0.36 ct). This unique piece is accompanied by a graceful hand-crafted yellow-gold stand, resting on a foot set with a briolette-cut blue sapphire (0.42 ct), on a labradorite base. It houses the caliber 17’’’ LEP PS manually wound movement, with small seconds. ∅ 44.1 mm. Unique piece.
Perpetual Calendar – hand engraving
Officer-style perpetual calendar wristwatch with retrograde date hand and hand-engraved case and dial
That great Patek Philippe classic, the Officer-style perpetual calendar with retrograde date hand, gives center stage, in this white-gold version, to the oldest of the rare handcrafts intimately associated with watchmaking. Its dial center, bezel, caseband, hinged back cover, lugs and fold-over clasp present a lavish hand-engraved decoration inspired by a pocket watch held in the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. A pattern of interlacing foliage and scrollwork is completed by the Patek Philippe signature on the back cover and the Calatrava cross on the folding clasp. Within this re ned exterior beats the self-winding caliber 324 S QR with the day, month and leap-year cycle in apertures and the moon phase and retrograde date display set along an arc between 8 o’clock and 4 o’clock. ∅ 38 mm.
Calatrava – hand engraving and enamel
“Sheridan Style”
Inspired by the traditional Sheridan style of leather carving and embossing, the dial of this limited-edition Calatrava wristwatch showcases a rare and precious decorative handcraft. To produce the striking effect of relief and volume on a thickness of barely 0.3–0.4 mm the engraver combined the techniques of modeling and hammering, and did so with a mastery that makes each dial unique. 60 hours of hand engraving went into creating this ornament of owers and leaves, emerging so clearly from the hammered background. Once engraved, the gold plate was coated with transparent golden-brown enamel to enhance the contrasts of color. The bezel and lugs are set with 113 brilliant-cut diamonds of Top Wesselton Pure quality (~0.8 ct), while the buckle sparkles with 29 brilliant- cut diamonds (~0.22 ct). The rose-gold case is endowed with a hinged dust cover protecting a sapphire-crystal display back, through which one may admire the caliber 240 ultra-thin self-winding movement. ∅ 38.6 mm. Limited edition of 10 watches.
Calatrava – wood marquetry
“Grand Canyon”
The wild beauty of the Grand Canyon is seen at its most evocative on the dial of this Calatrava wristwatch, in a dazzling work of micro wood marquetry. The marquetry-maker cut and assembled on a gold plate 209 tiny pieces of wood and 70 inlays, some of them barely visible to the naked eye. His masterly combination of the shades, textures and graining of 20 different woods gives the scene its astonishing depth and realism, from the play of light and the details of the rocky landscape to the clouds in the sky. This art of the infinitely small, with its subtle harmony of colors, makes each watch in this limited edition a unique creation. The white-gold case is endowed with a hinged dust cover protecting a sapphire-crystal display back, through which one may admire the caliber 240 ultra-thin self-winding movement. ∅ 38.6 mm. Limited edition of 10 watches.
Calatrava – wood marquetry
“Rodeo”
To portray this rodeo scene, depicting a cowboy on his steed, with such an astonishing wealth of detail, Patek Philippe turned to the rare and demanding technique of wood marquetry, one of the precious handcrafts championed by the manufacture. The master marquetry- maker first cut out the 318 pieces and 40 inlays, some of them microscopically small, that comprise this decoration – the details of the hands, the spurs, the muscles of the bucking horse, and the rope, ner than a hair – and then assembled them on a gold plate. Displaying exceptional artistry, he worked with more than 20 different natural or stained woods, using their range of colors and textures to give his picture its life, depth and movement. Each watch in this limited edition is therefore a unique creation. The white-gold case is endowed with a hinged dust-cover protecting a sapphire-crystal display back, through which one may admire the caliber 240 ultra-thin self-winding movement. ∅ 38.6 mm. Limited edition of 10 watches.
Calatrava – miniature painting on enamel
“Jazz”
With its silhouette of a pianist in New York’s legendary Blue Note club, its magnificent portrait of a jazz singer, and its staff indicating the opening notes of Sidney Bechet’s Petite Fleur, the dial of this Calatrava wristwatch pays glowing tribute to the world of jazz. To compose this scene, all mystery and transparency and yet with the immediacy of a photograph, the artist used the delicate technique of miniature painting on enamel, as lovingly perpetuated by Patek Philippe. Three little owers enriched with gold spangles echo the golden notes of the score. The Manhattan skyline is nely etched into the layer of black enamel, revealing gradations of color and an elegant play of matt and polished surfaces. This combination of techniques, and the miniaturist’s skill in building up his picture in tiny deft touches, make each watch in this limited edition a unique piece. The white-gold case is endowed with a hinged dust-cover protecting a sapphire-crystal display back, through which one may admire the caliber 240 ultra-thin self-winding movement. ∅ 38.6 mm. Limited edition of 10 watches.
Calatrava – hand engraving and enamel
“Volutes and Arabesques”
The timeless, understated lines of this Calatrava in platinum contrast with a dial whose exuberant decoration recalls the most beautiful medieval illuminations. This lavish ornament alone required more than thirty hours of work on the part of consummate artists. The scrollwork had to be flawless and completely smooth before the engraver’s hand could intervene, enriching it with interlacing lines and arabesques. The caseband is also embellished with enamel volutes. A sapphire-crystal case back reveals the ultra-thin self- winding caliber 240. A prong buckle in platinum with a hand-engraved decoration fastens the alligator strap. ∅ 38 mm.
Calatrava – haute joaillerie
Calatrava Haute Joaillerie wristwatch
With its decor of feathers engraved in natural pink mother- of-pearl and its swathe of diamonds and pink sapphires, set in staggered rows on the case and buckle and in a snow setting on the dial, this Calatrava Haute Joaillerie model blends several artistic disciplines in a highly re ned jeweled timepiece. The hands are delicately adorned with a feather motif and the crown is embellished with diamonds and a pink sapphire cabochon. In total, the precious stones comprise 348 diamonds (~1.66 ct) and 354 pink sapphires (~2.69 ct). The white-gold case houses the caliber 240 ultra-thin, self-winding movement, which may be admired through the sapphire-crystal case back. ∅ 35.8 mm.
Calatrava – haute joaillerie
Calatrava Haute Joaillerie wristwatches
These two Haute Joaillerie wristwatches combine, in perfect harmony, the pure lines of the Calatrava model and the voluptuous radiance of 162 Top Wesselton Pure closed-set baguette-cut diamonds (~5.2 ct) draped either side of the dial. The rows of stones of varying sizes, overlapping gracefully at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock, called for exceptional mastery of this beautiful but difficult gem-setting technique. The rose gold version presents a black-lacquered dial; the white-gold version features a dark purple dial with a guilloched decoration. The prong buckle fastening the alligator strap shimmers with 20 baguette diamonds (~0.72 t). A sapphire-crystal display back enables one to admire the intricacy and nesse of the caliber 215 manually wound movement. ∅ 34 mm.
