IN

HER

OWN

TIME

More than a watch, a Patek Philippe is a statement. One that reminds us to embrace every moment as our own: an interplay of technical precision, heritage and timeless design, worn with quiet power.

I/XII

II/XII

Photographer:
LAURIE BARTLEY

Model:
MONICA CIMA

Stylist:
BENEDETTA DELL'ORTO ZINERONI CASATI

CAPTURED

ON FILM

Through the lens of ELLE, the spirit of the Patek Philippe woman comes into focus: her presence, her individuality, her assured elegance.

A cinematic portrait of the subtle details, style, and attitude that define her, crafted with the same intention and passion as the timepiece she wears.

MOMENTS IN TIME:

MILESTONES IN

PATEK PHILIPPE

HISTORY

From its earliest days, Patek Philippe’s history has been intertwined with women: collectors, muses and icons who left their mark on the brand.

Across decades, subtle yet significant moments have shaped a quiet legacy of elegance, captured in milestones that still inspire what it means to wear a watch forever.

1839

The Beginning

When Antoine Norbert de Patek and Jean Adrien Philippe joined and founded Patek, Philippe & Cie, ladies were among the company's very first customers.

1841

A Feminine Touch from the Start

The first archives reveal that many of the earliest pocket and pendant watches were created with a distinctly feminine touch, with delicately engraved and enamel-painted decorations.

1845

Innovation

Jean Adrien Philippe’s revolutionary keyless winding mechanism became part of the manufacture's identity. This system allowed the watch to be set and wound via the crown, eliminating the need for a separate key. It remains a breakthrough still used in today’s watches.

1851

A Queen's Choice

At London’s Great Exhibition, Queen Victoria of Great Britain and Ireland was among those who admired the world’s first keyless timepieces. She acquired a powder-blue Patek Philippe, making the brand a royal favorite – a distinction it has held among royal households ever since.

1868

Illustration Only

A First on the Wrist

Long before it became common, Patek Philippe introduced the first Swiss wristwatch, designed especially for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary, at a time when women wore pocket or pendant watches.

1916

Complications for Her

Patek Philippe’s first chiming five-minute repeater complication wristwatch was created for a prominent woman from New York.

1932

A Family Legacy

In the midst of economic upheaval, the Stern brothers Charles and Jean acquired Patek Philippe, preserving its independence and setting the stage for generations of family stewardship.

Louise Stern: The Discreet Visionary

Behind the scenes, Louise Stern, mother of Charles and Jean, brought ambition, taste and steadfast determination to the manufacture. Her business sense and sharp instinct for refinement left a powerful imprint on Patek Philippe, helping steer it toward the enduring character it represents today.

1956

When Grace Chose Patek

A pendant watch in yellow gold adorned the neck of Princess Grace of Monaco, cementing Patek Philippe’s place among style icons.

1980

The Ladies' Nautilus

The launch of the Ladies’ Nautilus brought the brand’s iconic sports watch to women’s wrists for the first time, combining bold design with refined proportions.

1993

The Gondolo Collection

Launched in 1993, the Patek Philippe Gondolo collection was inspired by Art Deco design. Later interpretations include the Gondolo Serata.

1999

The Signature Twenty~4

Created for the modern woman, the Twenty~4 debuted as a diamond-set steel bracelet watch, instantly becoming a classic and one of the brand’s most enduring bestsellers.

2004

The Aquanaut Luce

With its launch in 2004, the Patek Philippe Aquanaut Luce collection brought a sporty-chic spirit to the brand’s feminine offering. It is a reinterpretation of the original Aquanaut model, first introduced in 1997.

2009

Ladies First

For the first time, Patek Philippe debuted a chronograph movement in a ladies' timepiece before releasing it in a men’s, affirming women as true collectors.

2018

The Next Chapter

The Twenty~4 Automatic brought mechanical mastery to the brand’s most iconic feminine collection, uniting heritage with modernity and setting the tone for what’s still to come.

2025

Cubitus: A New Era

Following the launch of the new collection with its unmistakable design in late 2024, Patek Philippe introduced the medium 40mm size, a bold addition designed for smaller wrists.

A

LEGACY

OF

EXCELLENCE

An

Art

of

Details.

MASTERING THE MOVEMENT

At the heart of every Patek Philippe is its movement – a mechanical marvel developed and produced entirely in-house. Whether self-winding with a gold rotor that transforms wrist motion into energy, or manually wound for purists, each caliber is a triumph of micro-engineering.

With more than 50 movement references in the collection, every gear, spring and rotor is crafted for performance, longevity and the poetry of precision.

FINISHING, BY HAND

What sets Patek Philippe apart is not just what’s inside but also how it’s finished. Every surface, even those hidden from view, is meticulously hand-finished for both performance and beauty.

On movement components, finishing techniques like perlage (circular graining) create delicate, pearl-like textures, while polishing adds durability and shine. Faced with components so small they require binocular microscopes, artisans turn functionality into art.

THE FACE OF TIME

Each dial is its own masterpiece. Patek Philippe dials can be engraved, brushed (satinage), textured to evoke shantung silk, or decorated with mother-of-pearl to create subtle plays of light. Every numeral and hour marker is crafted from solid 18-karat gold and hand-applied, whether Roman, Arabic or baguette-cut diamonds.

Even the slender hands can take months of tooling and refinement before production begins, proving that every visible detail is elevated to the level of artistry.

CASES AND BRACELETS

Building a case that is thin yet strong, elegant yet reliable, requires up to 50 separate operations for the most complex cases and the expertise of specialists and artisans with many years of experience. Each case begins with a block of precious metal—18-karat gold, platinum or stainless steel—and is shaped, machined and finished by hand.

The bracelets, particularly the mirror-polished bracelets of the Twenty~4 collection, are assembled and finished link by link to achieve their distinctive shine and silky feel on the wrist.

THE ART OF GEMSETTING

Gemsetting (sertissage) at Patek Philippe is an art of its own, one that elevates each watch. Every diamond used is of the highest quality, internally flawless and immaculately cut.

Using traditional techniques refined over centuries, each stone is set by hand under magnification, ensuring perfect alignment, brilliance and smoothness to the touch. It can take up to two weeks for a single high-jewelry gem-set watch to be completed by one artisan from start to finish.

TIMELESS ELEGANCE

Every Patek Philippe timepiece is created with one purpose: to endure. Chosen for today, cared for over time, and passed on to future generations, each watch holds its place beyond trends or seasons.

This philosophy runs through the entire collection, with designs that range from the contemporary allure of the Twenty~4 to the iconic strength of the Nautilus and the architectural poise of the Gondolo. Understated yet distinctive, they remain forever relevant, embodying a timelessness that feels both inherited and entirely one’s own.

Collections

At Patek Philippe, each timepiece is a testament to precision, craftsmanship and style. They are created not merely to measure time, but to reflect character — from the understated elegance of the Calatrava, to the sporty-chic confidence of the Aquanaut Luce, to the refined mastery of the Complications.

With designs that honor the individuality of the women who wear them, the collection celebrates creativity without compromise. A testament that timelessness can be expressed in many ways and that every detail has meaning.

ELLE’s selection of Patek Philippe iconic ladies’ timepieces
For the full Patek Philippe Collection, visit patek.com