Initially headed up by a Polish cavalryman named Antoine Norbert Patek de Pradwdzic, he joined with the French horologist, Jean Adrien Philippe in 1845, becoming partner in the new firm of Patek, Philippe & Cie in 1851. Owned in its entirety by the Stern family since 1932, Patek Philippe is now regarded as one of the ‘Holy Trinity’ – taking up a third share of the most prestigious timepiece manufacturers that Switzerland has to offer, alongside Vacheron Constantin and Audemars Piguet.
As you might expect, a manufacturer that has been in the game for more than 180-years will have made plenty of changes to its creations over all that time. Some of the replica watches that Patek still builds today have been in its collection for generations, gradually progressing and evolving as times and technologies advance.
So, we have put together this historical guide to document just what form these transformations have taken, and to see the differences between the earliest and most recent examples of some of the finest watches in the world.
The current catalog of Patek Philippe wristwatches comprises eight individual families. Within them, you will find everything from the simplest two-handers ranging through to some of the most complicated models in the entire fake watch industry.
The oldest model name in the portfolio, the Calatrava, has been there since 1932 when the Stern’s took control. Meanwhile, the latest addition, the Twenty~4, joined the lineup in 1999. However, the Complications and Grand Complications collections include pieces that can trace their lineage back even further; Patek unveiled its first-ever minute repeater, for example, as early as 1916.
As a result, it stayed in production all the way up to 1973 and gave birth to a myriad of variations. While the original had a small sub-dial for the running seconds, other versions of the ref. 96 had either a central seconds hand or even no seconds indication at all. Different dials included a pilot’s model with extra-large numerals, along with sector dials that were divided into inner and outer concentric circles.
Over the years, the replica Rolox watches collection has seen some beautifully offbeat models, all with refreshingly eccentric profiles. Interestingly, the ref. 4824 and ref. 4825 from 1993 served as the inspiration for the Twenty~4 series, with their rectangular case silhouette.
Today, the seven-strong assortment is a mixture of various unconventional structures, from small cushion-shaped pieces to elegantly curved tonneau models, all awash with flawless diamonds.