Patek Philippe unveils limited edition watch with exclusive new movement in homage to Philippe Stern
To honour 85 years of Philippe Stern's dedication to watchmaking, Thierry Stern, the fourth-generation Stern family member who became president of the family business in 2009, decided to create a special edition of 30 watches.
As a tribute to Philippe Stern's 85th birthday, Patek Philippe has created a special series equipped with a brand-new movement combining a minute repeater and an alarm chiming the programmed time on the same two classic gongs. (Photo: Patek Philippe)
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In celebration of Philippe Stern's 85th birthday, Swiss luxury watch manufacturer Patek Philippe has introduced a limited edition timepiece with a unique new movement paying tribute to the former president of the company. Philippe Stern served as the president of Patek Philippe from 1993 to 2009 and currently holds the honorary title.
This limited edition comprises just 30 watches and features a one-of-a-kind chiming mechanism with a minute repeater and alarm function.
Patek Philippe, founded in 1839, is renowned for its mastery of chiming watches, whether they strike automatically "in passing" (grande sonnerie, petite sonnerie) or upon request (repeaters). In 1989, Philippe Stern, the company director at the time, marked a significant milestone by reintroducing wrist-worn minute repeaters with the self-winding caliber R 27, the first movement of its kind entirely developed and manufactured in-house. Since then, minute repeaters have become a significant part of Patek Philippe's product line, with over a dozen models offering this Grand Complication, sometimes combined with other functions such as grande and petite sonnerie, tourbillon, perpetual calendar, chronograph, and World Time, among others.
To honour 85 years of Philippe Stern's dedication to watchmaking, Thierry Stern, the fourth-generation Stern family member who became the president in 2009, decided to create a special edition of 30 watches to honour his father. This unique timepiece, known as Reference 1938 in reference to the year of Philippe Stern's birth, features a minute repeater, his favourite complication, combined with an exclusive acoustic feature: An alarm that chimes the programmed time. This complex mechanism was one of five acoustic functions and two patented world firsts unveiled in 2014 (for the manufacture’s 175th anniversary) with the Grandmaster Chime Reference 5175, Patek Philippe's most complicated wristwatch, boasting 20 complications.
Incorporating the alarm function into the iconic caliber R 27 presented a significant technical challenge. Patek Philippe's engineers had to reimagine the minute repeater mechanism to accommodate the alarm. The result? The new caliber R AL 27 PS self-winding movement, featuring four new patents. These innovations ensure the safe switching between the two chiming modes, the ability to delay the alarm strike until the right moment, and the correct strike sequence of "hours, quarters, and minutes." Moreover, the strike-work barrel is always fully armed with each slide actuation, allowing the watch to sound up to 31 strikes for the alarm, if necessary.
Patek Philippe's commitment to user-friendly design is evident in this watch. A push-piece integrated into the crown allows users to select the chiming mode, displayed in a small bell-shaped aperture at 3 o'clock. In minute-repeater mode, the user can actuate the repeater slide to hear the chimes of the hours, quarters, and minutes elapsed since the last quarter. In alarm mode, the slide must be actuated again to wind the alarm.
The 12-hour programmable alarm time is set using the crown and the watch always strikes two minutes before the programmed time, ensuring the maximum number of chimes are heard.
The tribute to Philippe Stern continues with the 18K gold dial, featuring a portrait in Grand Feu white and grey miniature painting on enamel, set against a Grand Feu black enamel background.
The 41mm platinum case, hand-polished throughout, pays homage to an earlier creation from 1989 in the "Officer's" style. Platinum was chosen for both its nobility and its acoustic properties, contributing to the unique "Patek Philippe sound". The case features a diamond at 6 o'clock and a sapphire crystal back with a hinged dust cover inscribed with "A mon père, 85 ans de passion horlogère" (To my father, 85 years of watchmaking passion). The transparent caseback provides a view of the meticulously finished R AL 27 PS self-winding movement.
This limited edition timepiece stands as a tribute to Philippe Stern's legacy and Patek Philippe's commitment to horological excellence.
