President of Patek Philippe: ‘I am, by far, the watchmaker who knows his customers best’

Thierry Stern is both the owner and director of Patek Philippe, one of Switzerland’s four leading independent watch brands. In an interview he explains why the prestigious Geneva-based company produces almost all its timepieces in-house, while delegating sales to outside partners. While it may not rival Rolex – the other major Geneva brand – in terms of sales, many in the know regard Patek Philippe as the best watch manufacturer, and the most exclusive. Its most emblematic models, such as the Nautilus, are snapped up for a fortune on the secondary market. Together with Rolex, Audemars Piguet and Richard Mille, Patek Philippe is one of the “Big Four” watchmakers, the four independent brands that generate around half the profits of the Swiss watchmaking industry. Founded in 1839 and owned by the Stern family since 1932, Patek Philippe employs around 3,000 people worldwide, including 2,050 at its Geneva headquarters. It is run today by Thierry Stern, who joined the family business in ...