The Essence of Value in the Swiss Watch Industry as Seen through Patek Philippe [Swiss Time Travel - Reminiscing on the 90s]

As the watch market continues to grow, information about watches is disseminated through a variety of media. However, records of the past, when smartphones were not readily available for sharing information or taking photographs, are scarce. Starting this issue, journalist Shigeru Sugawara, who has covered the watch industry for over 30 years, will begin a series called "Swiss Time Travel - Reminiscing on the 1990s," looking back at the watch industry in the 1990s with photographs from that time. In this first installment, he will provide a comprehensive look at Patek Philippe's watchmaking through his coverage of the brand.

It all began in 1992. Watch coverage at Patek Philippe

　My coverage of Swiss watches began with Patek Philippe in 1992. At the time, I was an editor for a jewelry magazine. Since the late 1980s, I had specialized in reporting and introducing French luxury jewelry and Swiss watch brands. My first foray into the subject came the previous year, when I met the late Alan Banbury, then director of the Patek Philippe Museum and a living encyclopedia of the brand. During an interview with Banbury, who was visiting Japan for a launch event, I expressed my desire to visit the company's headquarters if I had the chance. The following year, that visit was realized. In June 1992, Patek Philippe organized a small press tour for journalists from newspapers and general magazines in Asia, including Japan, Hong Kong, and Australia. I was fortunate enough to participate. Incidentally, only two people from Japan attended: myself from the jewelry magazine and an editor from a women's magazine.

Press Tour "Getting to Know Patek Philippe"

　The purpose of the press tour was to "introduce Patek Philippe." What does it mean to "introduce" a brand already world-famous? On the evening of the final day, then-president Philippe Stern (now honorary chairman) shared his thoughts: "Preserving tradition creates true value, and the essence of that value lies in mechanical movements. I want people to understand that Patek Philippe is a manufacturer that consistently produces its own movements." This was the answer. Even though the Swiss watch industry began to move toward a revival of mechanical watches in the 90s, exports of mechanical watches remained a minor presence, accounting for only a few percent of the total. He wanted the press to see for themselves the visionary Patek Philippe had for restoring mechanical movements and innovating technologically.

　To convey the full scope of watchmaking, Patek Philippe prepared a three-day full-time program. We stayed at a hotel close to their headquarters and flagship store on Rue du Rhône in Geneva. At breakfast, Ms. Castro, the PR representative, explained the schedule for the day, and we set off immediately after the meal. Incidentally, both lunch and dinner were with Patek Philippe staff, so every day was immersed in watches, right up until we returned to the hotel late at night.

The tour begins at the Patek Philippe headquarters.

　The first day of this intensive training-like program began in the company's headquarters (then built in 1908 on Rue du Rhône). The tour included the elegant salon on the ground floor, which has been visited by many historically illustrious figures, as well as the workshop on the rooftop overlooking Lake Geneva and the surrounding workshops. Particularly impressive were the luxurious high jewelry watches housed in the salon's large safe, the list of famous people recorded in the extensive archive, the records of Patek Philippe's partnership with American high jeweler Tiffany & Co., and the handiwork of the expert artisans in the engraving and enameling workshops. Even back then, they had already seen the rare handcrafts that Patek Philippe prides itself on.

To the La Jonction factory

　Next is a relatively large factory located in La Jonction, where the Rhône and Arve rivers meet. Here, the main process was to manufacture mechanical movement parts and assemble them, with repairs and maintenance carried out in a specialized atelier. The highlight is the huge fireproof safe that housed the tools and parts that were once used. Hubert, the factory manager at the time, described these as "valuable assets on a par with diamonds and gold," and said that he could not only repair customer watches but also restore museum pieces.

　At La Jonction, I was also given an explanation of the Caliber 89 using an elaborate structural model. Although I had some prior knowledge, I was fascinated and captivated by the mechanism of the world's most complicated watch at the time, which included 33 complications and was completed in 1989, the 150th anniversary of the company's founding, after nine years of research and development. After returning home, I continued to solidify my knowledge by closely examining the complex mechanisms of the Caliber 89, including the tourbillon, perpetual calendar, grande and petite sonnerie, minute repeater, split-seconds, sidereal time, and equation of time. Looking back, I am certain that the impression I received from what I saw and learned here motivated me to pursue a career not only as a jewelry expert, but also as a watch expert.

Visiting the master watchmakers of the Vallée de Joux

　The press tour also included a visit to a master watchmaker who crafts sophisticated complicated timepieces. The location was the Vallée de Joux, the mecca of Swiss luxury watchmaking. Amid the idyllic scenery of the mountains surrounded by forests, a master watchmaker known as an horloge comprée spends several years crafting a single watch. I'd heard that the Vallée de Joux has long been home to many "master craftsmen" who create complicated timepieces for famous brands in small workshops that resemble private homes. I never imagined it at the time, but two years later, I began frequenting the Vallée de Joux frequently for over a quarter of a century, and it has become the place in Switzerland I feel closest to, like a home.

Visit the workshop that no longer exists

　According to an interview in June 1992, Patek Philippe at the time had approximately 12,000 watches per year (including cases and bracelets) manufactured at its headquarters in Geneva, as well as at approximately 10 workshops in the city and suburbs, including La Jonction, and the Vallée de Joux. "As a result, we can only produce a limited number of watches because we're lazy," Philippe Stern joked. However, it later emerged that far from being "lazy," the company was already steadily moving forward with a project for a new factory that would consolidate its scattered workshops under one roof and improve production efficiency. Construction of the new factory began in the fall of 1993 in Plan-les-Ouattes, on the outskirts of Geneva, and full-scale operations began in 1997. This press tour provided a rare opportunity to witness what was almost the last watch being produced at the old workshop.

The achievements of the late Alan Bunbury

　Incidentally, Alan Banbury, who provided me with such a valuable opportunity, retired from active duty and handed over his position as director to Arnaud Tellier around 2001, when the large-scale Patek Philippe Museum opened, integrating the Geneva Museum of Watchmaking and Enamel. I remember him telling me that by 1992, the museum already had over 800 pieces, including 140 pieces that had been repurchased through auctions and other means. His book on Patek Philippe pocket watches and wristwatches remains a valuable resource that I refer to when researching. I would also like to add that it was helpful when writing "Timepieces in History," the catalog for the Patek Philippe exhibition held in Tokyo in 2014 to commemorate the brand's 175th anniversary.

Profile of Shigeru Sugawara

Born in 1954. Watch journalist. In the 1980s, he covered France and Italy for fashion and jewelry magazines. Since the 1990s, he has focused on watches, covering the annual watch fair held in Switzerland for over 25 years. He has written and published numerous articles for watch magazines such as Chronos Japan and general magazines. In his free time, he enjoys running and mountain climbing.