"Patek Philippe's work is about constantly balancing tradition and innovation, restraint and creativity. The Patek Philippe Boutique Tokyo Ginza embodies this ideal and is a place where we can show our Japanese customers how far we have come," said Thierry Stern, president of Patek Philippe.
Photograph by Yu Mitamura
Masamasa Hirota (this magazine): Interview and writing
Text by Masayuki Hirota (Chronos-Japan)
Edited by Yukiya Suzuki (Chronos-Japan)
[Article published in the July 2025 issue of Kronos Japan]
The Ginza boutique is a place to show our evolution to customers
President of Patek Philippe. Born in Switzerland in 1970. He studied watchmaking in Geneva and gained sales experience in Germany and the United States. He then mastered his skills at Atelier Réunis, a watch case manufacturer, before joining Patek Philippe. After serving as head of the Benelux market and new product development, he became president in 2009. He has improved the quality of watch cases and strengthened the women's models, refreshing the brand's image while preserving its traditions. The new collection, "CUBITUS," is his own project.
The Patek Philippe Boutique Tokyo Ginza, which will have its grand opening in Ginza, Tokyo in 2025, was made possible through a partnership with Singaporean retailer The Hourglass. For the company, this is not only a new flagship store in Tokyo, but also a store of rare scale and concept anywhere in the world.
"We didn't want it to be just a place to sell watches. We wanted to create a space where customers could talk with our staff, deepen their knowledge, and experience the brand," Stern says, defining the role of the boutique. In fact, in addition to traditional Patek Philippe products, the new boutique also offers special exhibitions and a full range of services for customers. "All of our staff are well-versed in the history and mechanisms of watches. We also place importance on sharing this knowledge here." But why doesn't Patek Philippe open its own stores?
"We don't intend to have any directly managed stores. It would be difficult to operate multiple stores, let alone two or three, and we don't want to neglect our partners who have supported us. Above all, we want to focus on making watches."
This attitude is probably the reason why Patek Philippe has built up such trust over the years.
"The key is to strike a fine balance without straying from the essence of Patek Philippe," says Thierry Stern. One example of this is the CUBITUS, which he personally oversaw and completed. Automatic (Cal. 26-330 SC). 30 jewels. 28,800 vph. Power reserve approximately 45 hours. Stainless steel case (45mm diameter from 10 to 4 o'clock, 44.5mm width from 9 to 3 o'clock including crown, 8.3mm thick). Water resistant to 3 bar. 6,530,000 yen (tax included).
"Japan is a very important market, and demand is increasing year by year. The reason we opened the boutique in Ginza this time was to meet those expectations. However, we don't intend to open many boutiques. This is part of a very selective strategy, and Ginza was the perfect place for that." The statement that there will be only a limited number of stores shows the attitude that "we prioritize quality over growth."
"The watch market is currently showing signs of settling down, but I think this is a reaction to some brands having previously produced too much. Patek Philippe has always carefully limited its production numbers and maintained a balance between regions. We have received requests from Japan to increase production, but we only produce around 7 pieces per year. We are well aware that we cannot meet all requests. What is truly important is to make the best products, even if they are produced in small quantities. This has been the case up until now, and I believe that this is how Patek Philippe should continue to be."
