Patek Philippe

"It embodies the values and standards of our family watch company". You may have already read this sentence that is the introduction to the Patek Philippe Seal launched this year.

Now that the passion seen at the launch of this Patek Philippe Seal is quietly getting softer, I think it's time for me to try to explain why it is in my opinion a good move operated by Patek Philippe and a quite possible and probable positive outcome for the owners and collectors of those watches we love.

I want to immediately take into account, accept and also soften the too often expressed by some accusation of sin of arrogance by Patek Philippe that this new Seal initiated. Patek Philippe has as far as I know never criticized its competitors, neither rejected or denied the importance of the Geneva Seal for Patek Philippe and in general.

The man with a golden rotor

As I see it Patek Philippe's wish with this Seal is only to formalize, make its manufacture and "bienfacture"s heritage secure, while keeping its innovative spirit in the balance. It's certainly hard to talk of his own work, to explain his own worry of excellence in all quality aspects, without appearing arrogant to those who don't want to recognize or even admit the work done and level reached.

Modern work for traditional decoration

Some may want to share their own experience of quality problems to counter the content of the Seal, but the Seal takes into account problems of reliability  that watches can encounter, or needs of servicing. The Seal doesn't state that Patek Philippe's watches are perfect as nothing is perfect. Perfection is a goal and the Seal is a mean to reach a more advanced stage towards perfection.  Please remember Henry Royce's saying: "perfection is made of small things but perfection is no small thing!"

But let's try to see deeper in the content of this Seal and specially see what its commitments are.

Hand angled

All Geneva Seal's fans can take a rest! The Geneva Seal requirements deal strictly and only with calibre's aspects. You may have read already the 12 Geneva Seal requirements you can find in some older Patek Philippe "Prestige" catalogs. By the way did you notice that the Patek Philippe catalogs don't mention the Geneva Seal anymore since the  2007/2008 catalog issued in 2007? So this year's catalog is the third that does not mention anymore the Geneva Seal. Did you notice a lesser level of finish in the watches issued at the same time? No dare I answer.

Wooden polish

In fact the Patek Philippe Seal requirements regarding the calibre finish are in my opinion stricter than the Geneva seal requirements. Half of the twelve Geneva Seal requirements, i.e. the first six requirements, those in my opinion more linked to the "perceived" finish (even if they of course have also technical reasons) and the regulation can be found nearly literally back in the Patek Philippe Seal, as it is shown in the little book Patek Philippe has issued to present the Patek Philippe Seal.

This one is cnc free

The last six requirements of the Geneva Seal are the more purely technical ones (less related to visual finish) and those linked to the shock resistance. They are to some extent now so commonly spread in the Swiss watchmaking industry that three of them (points 8, 9 and 10) may well be nearly universally respected in swiss calibres (ETA calibres included). The point 7 may well be too largely respected ("pinion shanks and faces must be polished").

Hand finished again

Point 12 forbids wire springs and as springs are easily visible on a calibre I guess that you can be assured that Patek Philippe springs will remain what they have always been, also for aesthetical reasons. If you find a wire spring in a Patek Philippe calibre call me anytime!

Let's finish with point 11! The little Patek Philippe Seal book also states that the ratchet and transmission wheels must be finished with care, while the Geneva Seal states that they must be finished "in conformity with prescribed models".  Is that a different shade of quality?

Decoration is not all

You may want to have a look at the "movement" section of the "Patek Philippe Seal" section of the Patek Philippe website to see by yourselves the confirmation of what I wrote just before about the first six points of the Geneva Seal, as the websites shows the same texts and pictures as the one of the Patek Philippe Seal book.

Geneva Seal decoration

Then if we can conclude that the Patek Philippe Seal is in no way less strict than the Geneva Seal regarding the calibre finish and technical aspects, can we consider that everything else contained in the Patek Philippe Seal is added as the Geneva Seal is strictly limited to these 12 calibre points?

You didn't know it was from the 70s

Don't worry about the picture above, Patek Philippe is not going to innovate with flashy bracelets. The colours are just the colours of the tape applied on the brushed parts of the Nautilus bracelet to end the polishing of the polished ones.

My favourite watch case

The first novelty of the Patek Philippe Seal is the fact that it is not limited to the watch calibre but looks at the entire watch (the calibre, but also the case in and out, the glass, the dial and hands, the crown(s) and pushers, the strap or bracelet). Also it is not limited to the watch but also to the services linked to the watch and particularly the servicing.

From the smallest to the largest

When saying the "entire watch" that means also that Patek Philippe has formalized principles that influence the creation and development of a new watch. It must take into account the tradition of Patek Philippe, the best tradition of watchmaking and the spirit of innovation of the company.

Lifetime service

The rate accuracy is another aspect of the Patek Philippe Seal. You may remember that in 1997 the COSC and the Geneva Seal board created a common certificate for some Patek Philippe watches created to celebrate the opening of the new (and current) Patek Philippe manufacture. Those watches were the ref 5500 Pagoda fitted with calibre 215PS and the ref 5029 fitted with calibre R27PS, a minute repeater in an officer case. This certificate's requirements were just that the watch calibre was compliant with the Geneva Seal requirements and that it was respecting the standard COSC requirements. All tourbillon Patek Philippe watches have also since that time been delivered with a COSC certificate and I've not been able to check if that was already the case or not before 1997.

Unfinished

The new Patek Philipe Seal has even more stringent requirements than the COSC. When the COSC daily tolerance is -4 +6 the PP Seal accepts -3 + 2 for calibres above 20mm of diameter (-5 +4 for calibres below 20 MM of diameter). The Patek Philippe Seal also tolerates only -2 +1 variations for tourbillon watches!

 Isn't that an obvious improvement, or at least a precious commitment?

On its way

I should add that the Patek Philippe watches must pass the test fully assembled, while the COSC requirements apply as you may know only to calibres before assembly.

Impressive thickness

In fact what we must understand about this Patek Philippe Seal is that it is aimed at perpetuating the best of Patek Philippe, the spirit of the glorious company. How many watch companies have lost their soul due to marketing erring ways? How many watch companies have lost their soul while diluting their qualities to follow trends and profit from them?

Calibre 89

At a time when Mr Philippe Stern is transmitting the helm of the family company to his son Thierry, isn't it a wise move to state what the strengths and virtues of Patek Philippe are, to in some way write them in the marble?

How many axis ?

Patek Philippe has already proved with the Advanced Research series that it can be at the forefront of the innovation while keeping its core values and avoiding passing trends. Innovation leads to progress only if it's useful. Difference is in no way innovation in itself. A Calatrava 5196 is not really different from a reference 96, except that it is more reliable, more precise, and has progressively got larger to answer the lasting market demand. The Patek Philippe Seal is here to make the coming versions respect the heritage while they will be indisputably new.

Objects of desire

Obviously that's a positioning statement. Those looking for permanent change, what is fully respectable, may not find their objects of desire in the Patek Philippe range. Patek Philippe probably does not intend to please every one. But who does?

Simple gong

I should also address those who think that Patek Philippe didn't need to create a "seal" for that. I too think that it was not necessary to create a "seal" to do well, but I'm 100% sure that it was necessary to create a Patek Philippe Seal to clearly share with the public (and I don't think we are here exactly the public), with its potential or already customers the true significance of all that is embodied by the Patek Philippe Seal.

Cathedral gong

I also truly believe that nature and humans don't stand emptiness. The simple withdrawal of the Geneva Seal, no longer sufficient to express what had to be expressed, would have left a negative impression, had it not been replaced by a more stringent commitment!

Choices

Keeping the Geneva Seal was probably not a solution either as more and more brands are seemingly now respecting the Geneva seal requirements for the sake of it as a marketing tool, or as a way to try to compare itself to Patek Philippe on a ground that it too limited in itself to be a fair comparison criteria, even if the Geneva Seal requirements are quite respectable.

Choices again

So coming back to the opening point of the potential arrogance of such a private seal, I want to hope that this reading has convinced you that Patek Philippe is only trying to improve itself and stay at its best, and not just pretend!

A place to choose

I've always thought that a Seal in history was a commitment, a signature, and definitely not a simple quality control based on some limited requirements.

Available! I would have picked it as my favourite.

Let's the future come now. I've heard that it comes early, as soon as in the beginning of next month! Let us some time to see the promises in the light of day.

Take a rest

Thank you for reading.

Cheers

Dje