Patek Philippe Opens Horology Program in NYC
If you own a fine watch by Patek Philippe you may have been frustrated when you tried to locate a qualified service technician that you could trust with your luxury timepiece. The Swiss watchmaker is trying to do something about that by starting a program to train young students in the art of horology.
While the pursuit of a career in watchmaking is fairly common in Europe, in the U.S. it has become a neglected art. That’s why the Patek Philippe Horology Programme has been opened in New York City. The aim of the program is to teach a new generation of budding watchmakers how to repair, service and build Patek Philippe watches.
The program is housed at the watch service center of the Henri Stern Watch Agency. This is an apt location because this Patek Philippe subsidiary repairs about 10,000 watches per year—but has only 19 watchmakers to do it all. As more U.S. buyers purchase watches by Patek and other makers of luxury timepieces, more expert watchmakers will be needed to keep them running.
Harry Stern Watch Agency president Larry Pettinelli is understandably thrilled to have the Patek Philippe Horology Programme on the premises. “We are extremely excited about the opportunity to develop trained watchmakers here in the US,” he said. “It addresses the fundamental difficulty the entire watchmaking industry has finding highly trained, qualified technicians to preserve complex mechanical timepieces.”
In an age where technology rules, it’s refreshing to see the fine old art of watchmaking being brought to a new generation of craftsmen who can keep it alive for the future. It’s also nice to know that in the coming years you should be able to find someone to service your precious Patek Philippe watch and give it the care such a timepiece deserves.
