Ryuichi Kawamura listens and discusses why Patek Philippe remains a top brand [Video Discussion]

A new project has begun in which musician Ryuichi Kawamura, known as a watch enthusiast, talks about watch brands that interest him! The commemorative first topic is Patek Philippe. Why is Patek Philippe revered as a special brand among the many luxury watch brands? We explore its appeal with Masamasa Hirota, editor-in-chief of Chronos Japan. This page also features a small excerpt from the conversation.

Talking with Ryuichi Kawamura about the appeal of Patek Philippe!

Why Patek Philippe anyway?

Masamasa Hirota (hereinafter, Hirota): First of all, why did you choose Patek Philippe as your first brand?

Ryuichi Kawamura (hereafter, Kawamura): About 30 years ago, many people told me that as a man, it's a good idea to own a watch. There was a doctor at a hospital for watch collectors who said that Patek Philippe was the pinnacle of watches.

At the time, I only had a vague idea of ​​what Patek Philippe was, so I searched and looked into it. But my conviction that Patek Philippe was the best remained unwavering. The more I looked at it, the more convinced I became. So I wanted to ask Mr. Hirota about it.

What's so great about Patek Philippe?

Hirota: Can I put it simply? Patek Philippe is like LUNA SEA or Queen.

Kawamura: What do you mean?

Hirota: A watch has a case, a dial, and hands. There are all sorts of things, right? The sum of all those parts makes up a watch.

If the average score is very high, the watch will have a good sense of unity. Patek Philippe has a very high average score. It has all these things, it's well-rounded, and it's strong. In addition, the lineup is extensive. They have the Calatrava, the Nautilus, and complications, and they're all strong.

Kawamura: That's right. I've been a fan of Patek Philippe for about 24 or 25 years now, and they always produce superstars. Like the Giants' Nagashima and Oh, and then Hara. There's always one.

The rebirth of the minute repeater

Hirota: One of the things that speaks to the greatness of Patek Philippe is the minute repeater. Many manufacturers stopped producing minute repeaters around 1960. In order to revive them around the 70s, Philippe Stern, who was the president at the time, had craftsmen repair old pocket watches (with minute repeaters). This allowed him to accumulate know-how.

The pinnacle of a rich and varied collection of minute repeaters created by father and son Stern

http://www.webchronos.net/features/10626/

Kawamura: At that time, almost all watch manufacturers had stopped making repeaters, right? The craftsmen from that time had retired before those skills could be passed on. But Patek Philippe was the only one that still had craftsmen who could repair the machines from that time and teach them, right?

Hirota: That's right.

Kawamura: I still feel that the sound of a Patek Philippe repeater is the best sounding. Even to a musician's ear, there is little noise. The tone is also elegant. I don't think there's any point in an instrument being so good if you can't get lost in the tone. The sound is elegant and soothing, making it a very appealing repeater.