The man who gave us the Nautilus has died.
Philippe Stern, president of the Swiss watchmaker from 1993 to 2009 and father to current Patek president Thierry Stern, passed away on June 14 at age 88. He is considered one of the most influential figures in watchmaking, shining a light on haute horologie and making Patek Philippe what it is today.
Born in Geneva in 1938, Stern had watchmaking in his blood. His grandfather, Charles, and granduncle, Jean, acquired the Patek Philippe manufacture in 1932, handing the reins over to Philippe’s father, Henri, in 1958. Following the family tradition, Philippe climbed the company ranks, starting from the very bottom and moving to the very top. He made many important changes over his 16-year tenure, including opening a new manufacture in 1996, creating a Patek museum in 2009, and inaugurating the fully renovated Geneva Salon in 2006. He also presided over the creation of the coveted Patek Philippe Seal in 2009, providing the brand with an official seal of quality after meeting the toughest criteria in the industry.
With a degree in economics and commerce, Stern had incredible business acumen. His numerous trips abroad helped him to expand Patek on a global scale, increasing brand visibility in both existing and emerging markets. He is also credited with keeping Patek an independent maison focused on craftsmanship and exclusivity at a time when many other watchmakers were joining large groups and scaling up production at the expense of quality and prestige.
On the watchmaking front, Stern notched many incredible achievements, including, not least, launching the revolutionary Nautilus sports watch in 1976. It has since become the most famous model in the Patek lineup. He also spearheaded the creation of the world’s most complicated portable mechanical watch. After nine years of work, the iconic Caliber 89 debuted in 1989 with no less than 33 complications. Various limited editions followed, marking a new era of mechanical watches and highly complicated timepieces, including chiming watches, which Stern was a true fan of. That work underscores the kind of man Stern was—one who was all about passion, artistry, and excellence. He passed the presidency onto his son, Thierry, in 2009, who has already made his mark with the Cubitus, the brand’s first collection in 25 years.
