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If you understand something concerning the sensible aspect of creating watches, you understand that manufacturing is a delicate matter. You would possibly, for instance, see information about some large new construction that watchmaker A is constructing, and naturally marvel what number of extra watches might be made underneath that roof. Now, if you understand slightly extra about watchmaking, it is not going to shock you to study that extra watches are usually not on the playing cards – no less than not immediately, however actually by no means to the extent that manufacturing will immediately double.
Whereas visiting the brand new Patek Philippe facility in Geneva’s Plan-les-Ouates neighbourhood (affectionately often known as Plan-les-Watches or Plan-les-Watch), we’re proven a staggering variety of CNC (pc numerical management) machines. It was actually a show-stopping second for the press tour, organised for Southeast Asia media, particularly for these of us who understood that CNC machines can run 24/7. For a second, this author thought-about simply what number of brass motion blanks might be produced on the new PP6 facility with the multi-axis CNC machines. That silly second handed shortly although as a result of Patek Phlippe helpfully knowledgeable us that gears, pinions and arbours (additionally produced right here, with completely different CNC machines in a course of referred to as bar-turning, the place the uncooked materials bars flip however the instruments are mounted) wanted to be completed by hand. Something with tooth, actually. To be blunt right here, this actually implies that each spoke of each wheel will get some particular person consideration, nevertheless miniscule it is perhaps.
Pulling again slightly from this particular close-up, the truth of watch manufactures is commonly shocking as a result of these websites are sometimes large – the brand new facility we visited stands 34m excessive, with 10 storeys (4 are underground, which Patek Philippe actually describes as subterranean, in good previous secret lair type) for a complete of 133,650sqm. Clearly, the positioning is huge but Patek Philippe’s manufacturing quantity of 70,000 watches (that’s the top-end estimate; Patek Philippe doesn’t disclose particular manufacturing numbers). What’s required right here is an establishing scene, so allow us to take you again to 2019, within the Earlier than-Instances – allow us to return even additional than this, for a little bit of context.
In The Starting…
Patek Philippe has been on mission to broaden and improve its capabilities for the reason that agency got here to life in 1839, and positively for the reason that Stern household took over within the Thirties. In all this time, wealth has develop into extra democratised, and timepieces discovered themselves on the wrists of extra folks than ever earlier than. Bear this in thoughts once you go to the Patek Philippe Salons in Geneva – considered one of three owned and operated by the model itself – as a result of this area used to deal with the watchmakers. When the arrival of quartz expertise put paid to many a storied title, and even despatched the watchmaking commerce into decline, these companies that soldiered on – Patek Philippe amongst them – discovered that they needed to take steps to guard the whole trade. As a matter of truth, the Patek Philippe Museum occupies an area previously utilized by considered one of its suppliers, now turned in-house division – the famed bracelet-maker Ateliers Reunis. Whereas each Salons and Museum are spectacular, they can’t examine with the newest addition to Patek Philippe’s manufacturing amenities.
By the point Thierry Stern succeeded as President of Patek Philippe, he was constructing on the work of his predecessor, his father Philippe. The elder Stern had introduced the constructing of a producing website at Plan-les-Ouates in 1996, and that was prepared by the point the youthful Stern took over in 2009. To make a protracted story considerably shorter, Patek Philippe determined that much more workspace was wanted, however had to slot in the prevailing footprint of website; the prevailing amenities have been up to date however merely not conserving tempo with future wants. The answer unfolded in a number of phases, and work on the constructing often known as PP6 (the topic of this story) started in earnest in 2015. Clearly, Thierry Stern needed one thing massive, and PP6 matches the invoice. Whereas this itself is a superb story, we’re extra excited by what would possibly enlighten collectors and people nonetheless ready for his or her shot at a Patek Philippe watch.
Returning to the CNC machines and the shaping of elements with tooth, that is truly the place one can study one thing attention-grabbing and presumably particular to Patek Philippe. Not singularly distinctive as a result of the manufacture is the best and greatest or no matter however only a rational methodology of working that the Geneva model has adopted. The gist of it’s this: the bottom plates made right here are usually not meant for sophisticated actions, however the elements with tooth are shared between all forms of calibres. Completely different machines produce plates and bridges for sophisticated watches. Why ought to this be so? The reason given, and what we all know ourselves, is that difficult actions parts, together with plates and bridges, are thicker than regular. These are filed all the way down to the suitable dimensions (nonetheless thicker than customary actions) as a result of the expert palms of a craftsperson can deal with extra advanced and delicate actions than even CNC machines can.
Labored By Hand
The tourbillon bridge is a superb and generally used instance, as a result of the tough half is labored over by hand fairly intensely. Further materials additionally helps ameliorate minor errors, that are inevitable. Gears and pinions, alternatively, may be made to at least one customary specification. Not that any model discusses issues like errors however they do occur as a result of should you take off an excessive amount of whereas bevelling, for instance, there is no such thing as a going again; this author is aware of that from expertise, on condition that tolerances listed below are past what the bare eye can apprehend. Suffice to say right here that those that are in search of the reason why Patek Philippe is perhaps production-limited – even with automated processes within the combine – can discover one vital level within the hobbing course of, and what follows after. Hobbing is the technical time period for the manufacturing of tooth on elements.
Sadly, space-constraints restrict us as a lot as they do a watchmaker equivalent to Patek Philippe, so we should transfer on for slightly bit to bracelets and metiers d’artwork. We’d have cherished to inform you extra about motion meeting however that was not on the playing cards on this event, and this operation truly takes place in one other constructing right here on the Plan-les-Ouates manufacture. On that be aware, we’d be remiss to not point out the Superior Analysis division at Patek Philippe, which is on the third flooring of PP6. Sadly, this was not a part of the tour this time, though we maintain out some hope that it is going to be in future. Having a motive to return to the Patek Philippe manufacture is not any motive to complain.
And so, on to bracelets we go, and this one might be well-liked with the broader watch fanatic world. After all, the bracelets we noticed in manufacturing have been for the. Nautilus, which is perhaps tied for many unique and most well-known watch bracelet on the planet – the GOATs of bracelets, one would possibly say. It’s all the time wonderful to see bracelets taking form, hyperlink by hyperlink, though it have to be stated that the uncooked materials right here arrives within the type of a bar that’s within the tough dimensions required (full with a groove within the center). Famously, there are 55 steps concerned in making the Nautilus bracelet, and Patek Philippe did put aside fairly a little bit of time to get into this. Now, you would possibly marvel why all of the fuss over bracelets however of all of the manufactures we visited this 12 months, Patek Philippe is alone in exhibiting the world the way it makes its bracelets in its personal manufacture. Certainly, most watch manufacturers outsource the manufacturing of bracelets to a specialist, however Patek Philippe acquired its personal provider a few years in the past (as famous briefly above).
Case Examine
To proceed with the making of bracelets, the formed bars are despatched into the bar-fed machining centre to type particular person hyperlinks. It is a milling course of, to maintain issues succinct, and entails many quality-control steps in addition to hand-correction, however these are usually not a part of the 55 steps. As you understand, there are two essential elements to the bracelet hyperlinks – the H-shaped bit and the centre hyperlink – and these are individually labored earlier than being assembled (with pins). Even after being assembled, there may be nonetheless buffing and chamfering to be accomplished, and the centre hyperlinks are literally polished additional to realize the signature mirror sharpening. That is accomplished by defending the H-links with perforated masking tape and sharpening the size of the assembled bracelet.
Shifting on to case-making, now we have nearly sufficient area to get into one other well-known Patek Philippe signature, the hobnail case- center ornament (which additionally seems on bezels generally). It is a Clous de Paris guilloche approach accomplished with a hand operated comb and aircraft lathe. You’ll have to think about the approach required to keep up the correct amount of stress right here (the half strikes whereas the lathe stays nonetheless). On the making of the instances themselves, that is fairly straight-forward, with bar-turning (simply as motion parts are made), milling, stamping and sharpening within the combine. We be aware for the file that Patek Philippe can be amongst the few watchmaking companies that produce their very own instances, and have invested closely to deliver this know-how in-house.
Lastly, we’ll spare the final phrase for Uncommon Handcrafts, though it means we should go away issues prematurely right here and have only a phrase or two left for gem-setting in captions. Our tour included an indication of champleve enamelling, which is just one of 12 methods that each one enamellers at Patek Philippe are proficient with. The champleve approach entails portray contained in the strains, that are mainly cavities carved right into a dial, and this system is especially suited to letting fans have a go, as you may see right here.
An indication of all methods would both be cursory or take days (should you visited the Grand Exhibition [in Tokyo or in Singapore in 2019], this a part of the tour is a bit like that phase), and one should keep in mind that Patek Philippe additionally has different artisans engaged on dials at specialist dialmaker Cadrans Fluckiger in St. Imier. It additionally engages exterior specialists equivalent to Anita Porchet, whom a few of you should have met or seen in motion in Singapore, whereas additionally permitting different artisans to work at home on their very own machines.
On that be aware, the Patek Philippe manufacture is a form of dwelling for watches, the place they’re lovingly ready to be despatched out into the world. Spare a thought for this the following time you take a look at your personal Patek Philippe as a result of somebody at dwelling in Geneva is attempting to think about you discovering immense pleasure in stated watch. If a Patek Philippe remains to be in your horizon, we hope this story performs its half in convincing you that it’s price inching in direction of that imaginary line.
This text first appeared on WOW’s Legacy 2024 challenge
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