名詞: n.
奢侈品

Vacheron Constantin; Omega; Tissot; Breguet; Audemars Piguet; Rolex; Jaeger-LeCoultre; Swatch

Patek Philippe & Co. is an upscale Swiss watch manufacturer. It is currently owned by the Stern family and is led by Philippe Stern and his son. Over the years, Patek Philippe watches have been worn by a number of notable individuals, including members of royalty, movie stars, and tycoons. They are notable for manufacturing most of their own components.
History
Antoni Patek started making pocket watches in 1839 in Geneva, along with his fellow Polish migrant Franciszek Czapek. They separated in 1844, and in 1845 Patek joined with the French watchmaker Adrien Philippe, inventor of the keyless winding mechanism. In 1851, Patek Philippe & Co was founded.
In 1868, Patek Philippe made their first wristwatch. They have also pioneered the perpetual calendar, split-seconds hand, chronograph, and minute repeater in watches. The company, like most high-end watch companies, produces mostly automatic and manual watches but has produced quartz watches in the past and even a digital wrist watch, the Ref. 3414.
Ownership by royalty
Patek Philippe watches have enjoyed great demand among discerning collectors and watch connoisseurs of a high social status and wealth. Since Queen Victoria’s reign, monarchs, popes, political leaders, and rulers have purchased timepieces manufactured by the brand either for their personal use or as a precious gift to be presented to an important guest, or in recognition of someone's remarkable bravery and loyalty.
In 1851, Patek Philippe started supplying its watches to Queen Victoria and her consort. Timepieces of the Genevan manufacturer immediately attracted attention of all the royal courts of Europe. Queen Victoria acquired a key-wound Patek Philippe watch created in a pendant style in November 1851 during the Great Exhibition of London. Queen Victoria owned one more exclusive Patek Philippe timepiece to be worn pinned to clothing. The watch suspended from a diamond and enamel brooch.
The list of Patek Philippe noble clientele also highlights Pope Pius IX, Christian IX and Louise (the king and queen of Denmark), Victor-Emanuel III (king of Italy and Duke of Savoy), and Hussein Kamal (prince of Egypt in the period of 1914-1917).

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