Patek Philippe is a brand that needs no introduction. When we think of Patek we often think of names like…well…’Patek’ or ‘Stern’. Names that have made the brand what it is today. However, going back to the 19th century, Patek Philippe was a much different beast.
For example, Patek Philippe may today be a Swiss brand but two of its founders were of Polish descent. It was only Jean Adrien Philippe, a Frenchman, who joined the company after original founder François Czapek left in early 1845, who gave the brand a more ‘French’ or ‘Swiss’ flare. In fact, Czapek is said to have died in poverty.
Part of what makes horology history so interesting is that it often reflects larger trends in society, trends that the same brands were following; giving you an insight into society as a whole. Just think of how wristwatches became popular in the early 20th century surrounding the war and soldiers who used them. Learning about early 20th century watches implies learning about trench watches and the like and, naturally, the First World War. Looking at Patek’s offerings in the 19th century gives both insight into the trends and what society was like at the time.
Czapek’s Creations Before and After His Departure
François Czapek was in Bohemia in 1811. In his youth he was a soldier who rebelled, fleeing to Geneva in 1832. Once in Switzerland he eventually trained as a watchmaker and started a business before Patek Philippe’s founding in 1839.
Below is a picture of the no. 535 Patek, Czapek & Cie pocket watch made the Czapek in 1842 and sold in 1844.
1842 Patek, Czapek & Cie no. 535 / Credit: Sotheby’s
This is a watch bought back by the modern Czapek brand from a Sotheby’s auction. What’s more interesting from a horological perspective is that this pocket watch used a stem-winding mechanism made by a third party. This was before Jean Adrien Philippe joined the company with his patented new invention, the keyless stem-winding system.
The next picture is one from the MET, a watch made in the early 1850s by Czapek with a portrait of Tzar Nicholas I.
Early 1850s Czapek pocket watch with Tzar Nicholas I portrait / Credit: The MET
This watch is interesting from a more historical perspective as it reflects something we’ve also seen with other older watchmakers like Breguet. Oftentimes the most prominent watchmakers in history are so prominent for their relations to aristocrats – their royal patrons and clients. It would make sense that Czapek would relate more with Eastern Europe given his background and his experience, in fact several Polish patrons are said to have ‘left’ with him when he left the firm.
Jean Adrien Philippe’s Works
1857 Patek, Philippe & Co. pocket watch with Jean Adrien Philippe’s winding mechanism / Credit: Phillips
Jean Adrien Philippe was already a prolific watchmaker before joining Patek, but he had had limited commercial success in his horological endeavours. He was born in France and trained with his father, later moving to Paris. He was already researching winding mechanisms in the early 1840s when he presented his latest invention at an exhibition in Paris in 1844. Although unsuccessful, this eventually led to him inventing the keyless stem-winding mechanism which he patented in 1845 and joining Patek as this is how Antoni Patek first heard of him.
Jeweled and Women’s Watches
Patek no. 2955 Lorgnette pendant pocket watch / Credit: Koller Auktionen
Moving away from the two characters above, another interesting reflection to make when examining Patek’s early history is how elaborately decorated many of their pocket watches were, in particular women’s watches.
Women’s watches came in several different shapes and sizes as opposed to the more standard men’s watches. Pendants were popular with Patek Philippe like the Lorgnette Pendant Watch no. 2955 from 1848. This was a watch with a peculiarly shaped pendant case, made for women. It had extensive floral engravings and a large enamel flower design on its case in blue enamel with diamonds. Then there is also Queen Victoria’s pendant watch no. 4536 in yellow gold and with rose-cut diamonds on a blue enamel background on the case of the watch.
Men’s watches were also decorated, for example the no. 27096 from the late 1860s was a perpetual calendar with the date and day in French made for Belgian aristocrat Philippe de Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. Apart from the typical decorations like having his initials on the back, Philippe also had a portrait of his wife Marie painted on enamel on the watch.
Queen Victoria’s Patek no. 4536 / Credit: The Hour Glass
It’s interesting to imagine the context in which these kinds of intricate timepieces were worn, much like today you can see how certain styles were more feminine (like the obvious floral motif). In contrast, you would be hard-pressed to find a guy with a portrait of his wife engraved on his watch in 2021 – prince or not. This may have one day been…perhaps not trendy but acceptable…much like the former trend of men’s watches often being in the range of 32-35 mm, with 36 or 37 mm already being considered ‘jumbo’. Despite my wrist size I still prefer the look of a 34-35 mm watch, and today, much like Philippe de Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, I’d be the outsider in a group of 40-42 mm diameter watches.
Fun fact, there is also a relation between Patek Philippe and one of the protagonists of our next article on Big Ben. Richard Rippon Dent a relation of Edward Dent, bought 30 watches from Patek at the 1851 London Exhibition, also claiming he would acquire the entire firm (which he did not do) .
By: Andres Ibarguen
Read more:
Patek Philippe Museum. Patek Philippe Watches (Catalog of the Patek Philippe Museum). Vol. I, Patek Philippe Museum, 2013, Geneva.
“Important Watches Lot 135 - Patek, Czapek & Cie. - A VERY RARE AND EARLY YELLOW GOLD OPEN FACED STEM WINDING CYLINDER WATCH NO 535 MADE IN 1842.” Sotheby’s, https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/important-watches-ge1801/lot.135.html.
Deployant News Team. “Czapek & Cie acquires a timepiece made by Patek, Czapek & Cie in 1842: a milestone of its founder’s earliest history.” Deployant, May 17th, 2018, https://deployant.com/czapek-cie-acquires-a-timepiece-made-by-patek-czapek-cie-in-1842-a-milestone-of-its-founders-earliest-history/.
“Watch ca. 1850-1855, Watchmaker: François Czapek.” The MET, https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/207365.