More than just an accessory: Patek Philippe brings women’s watches to the next level
Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but luxury timepieces are fast catching up.
Patek Philippe is on a mission to nurture a new generation of female watch connoisseurs. Photos: Patek Philippe
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The trope of men collecting timepieces while women expand their ensemble of handbags, shoes and jewellery may no longer ring true, as more women make watches a focal point in their get up. While women’s watch collections tend to focus heavily on form (think bold case designs), modern watchmakers are catching on to the fact that form and function are equally important to women.
Women’s watches have always been important to the family-owned Patek Philippe. After all, the independent brand has had a history of making watches for women since the 1800s. More recently, Patek Philippe is on a mission to nurture a new generation of female watch connoisseurs. Here are some features women can look out for when considering their next purchase.
THE BEATING HEART OF A TIMEPIECE
A watch’s movement is its beating heart. Be it quartz-powered – accurate to just a few seconds off a month – or mechanically driven, the movement is what allows a watch to tell the time.
Since its founding, Patek Philippe has been known for its dedication to the technical aspect of horology. The brand is consistently moving the needle in research, and has led new developments with complications such as the annual and perpetual calendar mechanisms as well as the travel time system.
Complications aside, the base movements that Patek Philippe uses are well-regarded in the industry. While there are many reasons for this, one of the most important is that all of its watch components are made in-house. This allows for strict processes and standards, ensuring that a Patek Philippe watch is never sub-par.
Launched in 2011, the original Ref 7130 was the first Patek Philippe World Time watch dedicated to women. The 2022 iteration features an elegant olive green dial in a contrasting rose gold 36mm case and a row of 62 Top Wesselton diamonds (approximately 0.82 carats) set on its bezel. An updated classic that takes you from morning to night, the Ref 7130R-014 makes telling time across the world a cinch for savvy women travellers.
ON THE SURFACE
The watch dial is often the first part of a timepiece that catches one’s eye. Watchmakers are faced with the delicate task of ensuring legibility, without overcrowding or favouring particular elements on a dial.
The Ref 7130R-014, or any World Time watch for that matter, takes this exercise to the next level. With the different time zones on the outer layer, it’s critical to get the right letter and numeral font as well as kerning, to ensure appropriate spacing between elements.
At the centre of the Ref 7130R-014’s dial, Patek Philippe’s artisanship is put on display with a hand-guilloched basket weave motif – a fine study in artistic contrast.
For women who prefer simple watch dials, the Patek Philippe Twenty4 Automatic collection is right up their alley. The Ref 7300/1200R-011’s rose-gilt sunburst dial uses larger gold applied numerals to enhance legibility and features a date aperture on its clean surface.
In other Patek Philippe collections, dial designs range from galvanic-treated ones to artistic impressions on materials like mother-of-pearl.
A BRILLIANT ACCESSORY
The same dedication found in haute joaillerie (jewellery art) can also be observed in watch making. A signature artisanship Patek Philippe has mastered in many of its watches is gem-setting, and this is evidenced in many of its watches like the new Ref 7121/200G.
On the bezels of both the Ref 7121/200G and the Ref 7200/1200R-011, Patek Philippe showcases its exclusive Dentelle, or lacework-style, gem-setting technique – two staggered rows of diamonds lend the timepieces a dazzling brilliance. On the Ref 7130R-014, the watchmaker utilises the more functional grain-setting method.
Patek Philippe’s craftsmen are capable of manually setting precious stones in different ways. Snow setting sees different-sized stones laid out in a seemingly random fashion to give a varied look; invisible setting eschews the normal metal claw or hook that holds a stone, and instead requires artisans to cut a groove in the back of each stone to clip it in place.
When it comes to the watch world, every watch that you hold and examine under a loupe teaches you something about the centuries-old industry. Holding a Patek Philippe, however, means that you’re learning from a brand that has had a hand in shaping that history.
Discover the Patek Philippe Ladies Collection at Cortina Watch boutiques in ION Orchard and Marina Bay Sands.
