Patek Philippe Plan-les-Ouates Manufacture Expansion

small-luxury-world · 2015-01-16T04:01:17Z

Patek Philippe invests over CHF 450 million to expand its Plan-les-Ouates manufacture in Geneva, enhancing innovation, artisanal crafts, and service capabilities.

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Small-luxury-world reports on Patek Philippe's significant investment in expanding its Plan-les-Ouates manufacturing complex in Geneva. This post details the brand's commitment to its Genevan origins and outlines a CHF 450 million project aimed at enhancing innovation, artisanal skills, service, and training. The expansion signifies Patek Philippe's strategic vision for long-term growth and continuity.

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... again making a strong commitment to its Genevan origins: a new construction project at its Plan-les-Ouates building complex has been launched to mark the start of the new year.

We recently discussed some difficulties regarding service and processing time. Maybe the following Press Release will show you that they try hard to solve that kind of problems. But lots of work and serious commitment is needed before.

Facts and Figures:

Floor area: 50,000 m2 on 4 stories plus the ground floor and top floor (restaurant) as well as 4 sub-levels, of which 2 for utilities and building services and 2 for parking
Total budget: > CHF 450 million
Building owner: Patek Philippe, Geneva

Press Release

Patek Philippe, Geneva
January, 2015

Patek Philippe strengthens its presence in Geneva and invests more than CHF 450 million to expand its site in Plan-les-Ouates.

Patek Philippe is enlarging its manufacture in Plan-les-Ouates to pursue new activities and enhance the transfer of know-how.
Now that the festivities of its 175th anniversary have come to a close, the family-owned company is again making a strong commitment to its Genevan origins: a new construction project at its Plan-les-Ouates building complex has been launched to mark the start of the new year.

"We are delighted that this project will allow us to further expand and sustainably safeguard the continuity of our business activities; at the same time, it expresses the strong alliance between Patek Philippe and Geneva," said Philippe and Thierry Stern. "The support we have received from the cantonal government and the community of Plan-les-Ouates gives us the assurance that we can implement this expansion project under ideal circumstances and within an optimized time frame. It is an important initiative in the long-term interest of our company's development and future."

Development of new technologies as well as sophisticated artisanal skills, evolvement and transfer of know-how

The enlargement of the Plan-les-Ouates campus with an additional building is motivated by the objective of developing new business activities and creating ideal prerequisites for the multifaceted requirements imposed on Patek Philippe's in-house basic and advanced training programs.
This applies in particular to the following domains:

Innovation: Intensification of applied research in horological technologies (as a complement to the research projects pursued by the Patek Philippe Chair at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne), specifically by establishing new test and homologation laboratories.

Artisanal professions: Creation of a new "Rare Handcrafts" department that will accommodate some 40 internal and external artisans. The department will also include a training center dedicated to these rare artisanal skills that are extremely important to Patek Philippe.

Service: Provision of manufacturing and warehousing resources for spare parts to consolidate repair activities with a special focus on the restoration of old timepieces.

Training: Centralization in Geneva of training assets for watchmaking and repairs as well as sales and marketing for watchmakers, distributors, and retailers in Switzerland and abroad.

Optimization of capacities for the long term

Since the manufacture consolidated all of its activities in Plan-les-Ouates in 1996, it has grown significantly. Soon thereafter, in 2003, it became necessary to relocate the exterior components department to Perly, a neighboring community of Plan-les-Ouates. The purchase of a plot of land in 2009 enlarged the Plan-les-Ouates site, making it possible to renovate and extend a building to accommodate the production of all movement parts.

The project that has now been launched has a floor area of about 50,000 m2 on six stories and four underground levels. When completed in 2018, it will cover future space requirements in the long term.
The new building creates the space needed to reconsolidate all Geneva-based activities on a single campus and is expected to offer sufficient reserves for Patek Philippe's growth in the next 20 to 30 years.

State-of-the-art production resources

Both structurally and in terms of its technical installations, the new building will comply with strict energy conservation guidelines. Overall, the building's energy efficiency largely corresponds to the Minergie-P standard.
The building permit application was filed on December 10, 2014, and Patek Philippe hopes that the project, estimated to last four years, can be launched in the spring of 2015.
Financed entirely by Patek Philippe, the building was designed by Frisk de Marignac Pidoux, an architectural firm headquartered in Geneva. It will be built by Thônex-based contractors Frei & Stefani SA.

(End of Press Release)

About the Patek Philippe Complications Ref. 175thcollection

The Patek Philippe 175th Anniversary Collection, launched in 2014, comprises a series of highly complex and limited-edition timepieces created to commemorate the manufacture's significant milestone. This collection showcases Patek Philippe's mastery across various horological disciplines, featuring a diverse array of complications and artistic crafts. Each model within the collection represents a distinct facet of the brand's heritage and technical prowess, designed for discerning collectors.

The collection includes models with a variety of precious metal cases, such as rose gold, white gold, and platinum, with dimensions and thicknesses varying significantly depending on the specific reference. Movements are exclusively mechanical, encompassing both manual-winding and automatic calibers, many of which are newly developed or highly modified for these special editions. Sapphire crystals are universally employed, and water resistance ratings vary by model, reflecting their specific design and intended function.

This anniversary collection appeals to collectors seeking exceptional examples of contemporary haute horlogerie and significant pieces within Patek Philippe's modern history. The limited production numbers and the complexity of the movements ensure their continued relevance in the secondary market. The collection includes a wide spectrum of complications, from world timers and chronographs to grand complications, offering a varied selection for different collecting interests.

Specifications

Caliber: Multiple calibers depending on specific model within the collection

Case: Precious metal

Diameter: Varies depending on specific model within the collection

Dial: Varies depending on specific model within the collection

Water Resist.: Varies depending on specific model within the collection

Crystal: Sapphire

Key Points from the Discussion

The new construction project is seen as a move to secure and elevate Patek Philippe's position in the watch industry, making it more difficult for other brands to compete.
A contributor expressed hope that the new facility would lead to improvements in the anglage finishing of common movements like the Caliber 324 and 240, to eliminate machining marks.
The fact that the entire expansion project is funded by Patek Philippe itself was highlighted as a significant commitment.
The self-funded nature of the expansion was noted as a contrast to practices seen in some American corporations.

The Discussion

GLau

Jan 16, 2015

Wow!! Entirely funded by PP!! That is a ...

HUGE committee!! Thanks for the post Oliver. Cheers Gordon

TheMadDruid

Jan 16, 2015

Entirely funded by the building's owner.

Maybe American corporations should read this press release.

Mark in Paris

Jan 16, 2015

Maybe the new CHF strengh will increase the purchasing power of imported material...

...and diminish the final bill in the end. I see they would like to improve many aspects of their production and it is a really positive line of conduct from PP. What I would really like is that they improve the anglage finishing of the commun movements as the 324 and 240 (which are really nice but where we see the machining marks), it would then show they really do what needs to be done compared to other high end brands. Just an area of improvement, not a negative criticism. Thanks for sharing

ch9698

Jan 16, 2015

Many thanks Oliver to be so close of the information concerning our preferred brand [nt]

Hiëronymus

Jan 16, 2015

Securing and taking to a higher level

Innovation, artisanal professions, service and training ensures and lifts the positioning of Patek in the watch industry and puts it further out of reach for other brands. Of course I embrace this. On the other hand I am curious about the reserves needed "for Patek Philippe's growth in the next 20 to 30 years". Wouldn't we like to know the estimates?

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Patek Philippe Plan-les-Ouates Manufacture Expansion

About the Patek Philippe Complications Ref. 175thcollection

Specifications

Key Points from the Discussion

Continue the conversation

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