Jean Adrien Philippe (1815-1894) andAntoine Norbert de Patek (1812-1877)Patek Phillipe. The Company known today as Patek Philippe was founded in Geneva in 1839 by an exile from Russian Poland, Antoine Norbert de Patek and his compatriot François Czapek. The earliest watches were signed with the names of Patek and Czapek & Co., until 1845 when Czapek left the partnerships. At the same time the company was joined by a French watchmaker, Adrien Philippe, who was to be the inventor of their famous stem-winding and hand-setting mechanism. From May 1845 to January 1851 thfirm was known as Patek & Co.; Philippe lent his name to the company in 1851 when he took a position as a full partner.Amongst the reasons for their initial success was the high standard of watchmaking and praticality of Philippe's new stem-winding system. Queen Victoria of England was already a client in the opening years of the partnership.It is from the middle of 19th century that Patek Philippe assumed a leading role in the Swiss watchmaking industry by raising standards of workmanship and timekeeping and introducing technical improvements such as the free mainspring, the sweep seconds-hand, the improvements to regulators, along with chronograph and perpetual calendar mechanisms. An innovation that was subsequently to prove of enormous commercial importance was the introduction of the first Swiss wristwatch in 1868. Already in 167 at the Paris exhibition Patek Philippe watches were displayed with the functions that were to become standard for complicated watches at the beginning of the 20th century, namely a perpetual calendar, a repeater and a chronograph with split-seconds. The two most complicated watches of all time have been made by this house, the first, for Henry Graves Jr. of New York, was completed at the beginning of the century and more recently the Caliber 89, which holds the title of the world's most complcated watch, was finished in the year which gives it its name.In 1932 Patek Philippe changed hands, the new owner being Charles and Jean Stem and today the third generation of the family still owns and manages the Company. Shortly after World War II, Patek Philippe established an electronics division and in the 1950s the Company pioneered quartz technology, filing several patents and winning awards. Today Patek Philippe S.A. of Geneva is still a family Company, owned jointly by its president, Mr. Henri Stern, and his son, Mr. Philippe Stern, who is vice-prsident.The firm has traditionally made complete timepieces, their watches and clocks employing craftsmen who are master-watchmakers capable of designing and finishing the most complicated watch movements. Other specialists such as goldsmiths, chainsmiths, enamellers, jewellers and engravers complete the firm's manufacturing capability. Although Patek Philippe is rightly famous as the leading manufacture of mechanical horology, they are also in the forefront asproducers of industrial and electronic timekeepers, withthese highly accurate masterclocks being installed in power stations, hospitals, airports and other public buildings and factories.In the past their clientele has included many famous figures from history, not only royalty such as Queen Victoria, but also distinguished scientists, artists and authors, including Einstein, Marie Curie, Charlotte Bronte and Tchaikowski.Today, clearly, most of the production consists of wristwatches, but Patek Philippe retains the ability to produce pocket watches and clocks to order, from highly complicated movements to those decorated with enamelled miniature paintings and engravings. The Company continues to patent new inventions and improvements in horology and plays an important role in maintaining the quality, prestige and reputation of the Swiss watchmaking industry.