The older and more traditional a watch brand is, the more difficulty it has in developing products. When a company like Patek Philippe has a waiting list of several years for its Nautilus collection, whose design is over 40 years old, it has to maintain this privileged position while at the same time innovating. In the brand’s latest video campaign, the company’s president Thierry Stern sums up the challenges faced by the brand.
“Playing with the Devil” is a short film about decisions, emphasising the difficulty of bridging the past and the future at the brand. “Sometimes, when we create a new watch, we tread a fine line,” explains Mr Stern. “We walk a tightrope that is difficult but enjoyable, between the past and the future.”
Challenging though this may be, it is also the inspiration behind the company’s creativity. Since Sandrine Stern is responsible for new product creations, there is a strong family bond whenever it comes to developing new products. On the one hand the choices are tougher and stricter when it comes to maintaining the brand’s integrity, on the other the hierarchy is much flatter and benefits from a much smaller group of decision-makers.
One great example of how Patek Philippe can maintain its classic designs while at the same time innovating is the 5960/1A annual calendar with chronograph. This watch maintains the classic appeal of a luxury timepiece but is also one of the few to combine two very useful complications: an annual calendar and a chronograph. Few brands offer this combination of complications, probably because of the challenge of incorporating both displays on a regular-sized dial (the case of the Ref. 5960 is just 40.5mm in diameter). Patek Philippe achieves this elegantly thanks to its single subdial for the chronograph, which displays the hours and minutes.
The Reference 5960 is powered by the self-winding calibre CH-28-520 IRM QA 24H, whose mainspring is rewound by a 21-carat red-gold oscillating weight and offers a power reserve of up to 55 hours. The movement is equipped with Patek Philippe’s patented Gyromax® balance wheel and Spiromax® balance spring and is certified with the Patek Philippe Seal, which, as part of its strict standards, requires the movement to be accurate to between -3 and +2 seconds per day.
Patek Philippe – Playing with the devil from Worldtempus.com on Vimeo.
