Chopard

PPPPP or P-5 (Penang Patek Philippe Purist Pal) essentially has an extra 'P'...a deep Passion for watches.

Although He-She-It has watches from many brands, the primary focus is on Patek Philippe of many colours and complications; sometimes all the colours of one model!

Our conversation revolved around the drivers of our watch choices. Obviously, we both love chronographs as useful daily complications to sport on our wrists.

There is little call for minute repeaters in daily wear; one might say even too ostentatious to contemplate 🤔.

Although P-5 has many minute repeaters to only admire at home, as well as other multi complicated Patek Phiippe offerings.

We talked about our choice of watches made by family owned Manufactures like Chopard and Patek Philippe because they have a deeper commitment to quality and reliability.

When you are the only shareholders, you have an exquisite responsibility.

Thus, we have a mutual respect for both the Scheufele and Stern families that run Chopard and Patek Philippe respectively.

They are both families steeped in watchmaking from their foundations. 

The Sterns were dial suppliers before buying their ailing client Patek Philippe to protect the major outlet of their dials.

The Scheufeles were already makers of watches based in Pforzheim having abandoned jewelery making before World War 2.

In our opinion, they are the two most engaged watchmaking family owners in the world. As Chopard co-president Karl-Friedrich Scheufele said, "I care that every watch with the Chopard name on the dial performs well for its owner."

Both families bought their respective companies but they still have the the honour of the brand names in their hearts.

The Scheufeles have been watchmakers longer than the Sterns as Karl Scheufele Company was founded in 1904, whereas the Sterns bought into watchmaking business in 1932.

Both families have learnt much since those two dates.

Chronographs are the ultimate complication

Whilst customers may rave about complications like minute repeaters, perpetual calendars and tourbillons, the one that taxes the watchmakers is the chronograph because of the adjustments needed to make a truly good one, as adjudged by its pusher feel and action for start-stop-reset, not to mention additional features like flyback and split times.

Although, relatively "cheaper" than the fancier complications, the effort for manual adjustment by watchmakers is higher as the variation from piece to piece must be kept to a minimum. Other complications should work as long as the components are machined precisely by CNC machines. The user has nothing to judge precision unlike the chronograph pushers that transmit immediate feedback.

In the final analysis, we had great mutual respect for our choice of 'prefered supplier' of our hobby in both Patek Philippe and L.U. Chopard.

Both have leaders that have invested more than money into their legacies. With Thierry Stern and Caroline & Karl-Friedrich Scheufele at their helms, Patek Philippe and Chopard aficionados can rest assured about the guardians of their favourite brands.

Regards,

MTF

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