Patek Philippe opens new boutique
SWISS TIMEPIECE brand Patek Philippe鈥檚 new home in the Philippines was opened to great pomp, thanks to the arrival of Patek Philippe鈥檚 president himself, Thierry Stern.
The Stern family has owned the brand since the 1930s when it was acquired by Charles and Jean Stern. The brand had already known prestige back then, counting Albert Einstein and Queen Victoria as customers. It also held the distinction for making one of the world鈥檚 first wristwatches in 1868, making a watch the centerpiece of a bracelet for a certain Countess Koscowicz. Mr. Stern is in the fourth generation of the Stern family to head Patek Philippe, taking over from his father in the late 2000s.
The new store boasts of 150 sqm. of space, with Japanese panels and marble as accents, while a Baccarat crystal chandelier catches the eye. A gallery boasts of the brand鈥檚 achievements. The rear of the boutique houses the more intimate and exclusive sales salon and VIP lounge. Staying true to its pledge of dependability, the boutique also houses an in-store service center.
A special touch is the Ref. 20011M Scarlet Macaw dome table clock released in 2016, spinning slowly in a case within the boutique. Among the collections on display is the eye-watering P18-million 6102P Grand Complication, with a dial showing a galaxy. The watch shows the time, of course, but also a sky chart, the phases and orbit of the moon, and the time of meridian passage of the star Sirius and of the moon.
During the opening on Sept. 28, Mr. Stern said, 鈥淚鈥檓 always very, very happy to see how we can really improve the level of quality between Patek Philippe and our partners.鈥 In the Philippines, Patek Philippe is distributed by Lucerne, which has been their partner in the Philippines for 24 years.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not only about the place; it鈥檚 also about the partnership. You can have the nicest place in the world, but if the partner is not the right one, it won鈥檛 work. Today, I鈥檓 very happy to say that we have been working now for about 20 years, and we鈥檝e always been very successful,鈥 he said.
鈥淚鈥檝e never seen so many watches in stock, so I鈥檓 very happy for that,鈥 said Mr. Stern. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 one of my favorite ones, and I don鈥檛 say that just to please you.鈥
The new Patek Philippe boutique is located in Greenbelt 3 in Makati. 鈥 Joseph L. Garcia
