The Company He Keeps

“In our family, we don’t just pass the watches down
the generations. We pass the whole company.”

For a couple of weeks this past September and October, Patek Philippe brought their Watch Art Grand Exhibition to Marina Bay Sands in Singapore.  “Offering insights into the manufacture’s history, technical achievements, and rare timepieces and antiques….[this] showcase will also profile selected timepieces and milestones from the watchmaker’s past alongside key milestones in Singapore’s history.”

Patek Philippe’s president, Thierry Stern, was here for the exhibition opening and Forbes Asia commissioned one of my long-time collaborators, Christian Barker, and I to write and photograph a profile for their magazine.

Mr. Stern’s time was tightly managed, so we had less than one hour for both Christian’s interview and my portrait session.  However, he and his team were very accommodating and helpful; the result is ‘The Company He Keeps‘ in the December 2019/January 2020 issue where Mr. Stern speaks candidly about the multi-generational family business, the legacy of Patek Philippe, scarcity of production and being courted by global luxury conglomerates who wish to buy Patek Philippe (spoiler: it’s not for sale).