Luxury for the wrist

The history of the lady’s wristwatch was recently unveiled by the last family-owned, independent Geneva based watch manufacture, Patek Philippe, in a viewing that celebrated the beauty of feminine timepieces.

The private viewing, dubbed “The Mechanical Art for Ladies” was held at House No. 1 in Bang Rak district with an intimate high tea session.
Deepa Chatrath, general manager of the brand in South East Asia, shared the brand’s origins and long standing history with its female clientele.
Highlights included the Ladies First Minute Repeater Ref 7000R-001 as well as recent launches including the Annual Calendar Ref 4947G with an opaline dial finished to resemble shantung silk. The watches took the spotlight alongside traditional fabric installations curated by renowned historian, Paothong Thongchua, who shared his expertise on how the creation process of Thai textiles mirrored Patek Philippe’s mechanical art of watchmaking.
Patek Philippe’s long-standing commitment to producing exceptional timepieces for ladies started in 1839, and one of its first customers was Mrs Goscinska, who ordered three timepieces. 
Over the years, the brand continued to demonstrate its creativity and willingness to offer unique watches to its female clients. In 1868, when the avant-garde Countess Koscowicz of Hungary declined to follow the prevailing female habit of wearing a watch as a brooch or pendant, Patek Philippe developed one to be worn on the wrist – a trend that would eventually take off. 
In 1916, Patek Philippe made a horological breakthough by producing a chiming mechanism on a wristwatch – a five-minute repeater in platinum. 
“Anything we design has to be of the utmost beauty so that you will want to wear it for many years. We achieve this by devoting our full attention to the smallest details,” says Patek Philippe President, Thierry Stern. 
This philosophy is translated by the creations department headed by Sandrine Stern, who ensures that each piece is designed around an in-house movement before other elements are considered, from diamonds to mini cabochon indexes or individual stars on a moonphase, resulting in a distinctly feminine dial or case. 
Patek Philippe ladies timepieces continues to be a symbol of the manufacture’s tradition in the art of fine watch making today, from the classic design of the Bauhaus inspired Calatrava, the modern femininity of Twenty-4, the casual elegance of the Aquanaut and Nautilus. to the array of mechanical complications like the Perpetual Calendar.
Highlighted pieces included the Ref 7130, the feminine version of the World Time Watch designed with the jet-setting woman in mind. It boasts a split seconds chronograph with column-wheel control and an elegant rose gold case with 226 diamonds. Also shown was the 2017 reference of Patek Philippe’s Ladies First Perpetual Calendar with a silvery opaline dial, white gold bezel set with 68 diamonds as well as two hand-stitched Alligator strap options for the ladies in charcoal grey or turquoise green. 
The Calatrava is a classic creation with a cream-coloured dial and the moon and stars depicted with gold-dust symbols.