Press Release
Patek Philippe, Geneva
December 2016
Patek Philippe celebrates the 20th anniversary of its "Generations" campaign and of
the Patek Philippe Magazine
1996 was a pivotal year for Patek Philippe. It saw the inauguration of the manufacturecomplex in Plan-les-Ouates that united all ateliers under one roof, and the launch of theAnnual Calendar that was to become an important brand ambassador. But it alsoushered in a significant change in the communication style of the Genevan brand. It
was the birth year of an innovative advertising campaign and of a luxurious upscalemagazine created explicitly for owners of Patek Philippe timepieces. Twenty years later,
subtly refined in the course of the years, the Generations campaign still has a strong
emotional impact and delivers a coherent brand message; all the while, the Patek
Philippe Magazine is deemed a benchmark in its genre. It is published twice a year ineight languages with a circulation of 285,000 copies. This double success story
perfectly matches Patek Philippe's philosophy and a long-term strategy based on
lasting values.
"Generations" campaign: a strong, universal messageLaunched in the autumn of 1996, the Generations advertising campaign took a persuasively
emotional approach, clearly distinguishing itself from conventional watch advertising in thosedays. It placed the accent on the staunch and steadfast relationship between the owners of aPatek Philippe and their watches. The certainty of owning an exceptional creation thatembodies a magnificent cultural, artistic, and scientific legacy. The assurance of having
acquired a precious object that would serve as a companion across many generations.
The campaign developed by the London-based Leagas Delaney advertising agency places
the customer in the focus rather than the product. It also differed from then-customary watch
advertising in two further respects. Instead of emphasizing the economic or occupational
status of the target audience, it entered into the private domain and the emotional spheres thatbond family members. And instead of hailing the past, it presented a dynamic, forward-looking
vision which comes to the fore in the slogan "Begin your own tradition."
To visualize this innovative concept, the campaign relied on photographs that express theaffectionate relationships between mothers and daughters as well as fathers and sons. Timesof togetherness between the generations. Moments of learning and sharing. Four-hand piano
playing, the first tie knot, the first shave, a fishing excursion for two, discoveries in sports,
glances that meet – many intimate and precious occasions to which everyone can relate. They
are depicted in scores of timeless black-and-white pictures accompanied by the somewhat

PATEK PHILIPPE SA GENEVA
Chemin du Pont-du-Centenaire 141 – 1228 Plan-les-Ouates
P.O. Box 2654 – CH - 1211 Geneva 2 – Switzerland
Tel. + 41 22 884 20 20 – Fax + 41 22 884 25 47 – www.patek.com

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provocative headline "You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for thenext generation." And the watch is discreetly placed in each of these settings.
All these real-life moments were captured by world-famous photographers – Peggy Sirota,
Peter Lindbergh, Jeanloup Sieff, Mary Ellen Mark, Ellen Von Unwerth, Marden Smith, GlenLuchford, Craig McDean, Veronique Vial, Robert Wyatt – who with great sensitivity imbued thecampaign with their very personal signatures.
In the course of the years, the campaign was subtly evolved without diluting the clarity of its
message or recognizability. Some photographs made it possible to showcase certain watch
collections, such as maritime visuals for the Nautilus models. To accommodate the curiosity
and the growing horological competence of the public, more priority was accorded to productinformation as well.
In two decades, the Generations campaign had a decisive impact on the realm of watch
advertising. It contributed to the growing popularity of Patek Philippe, not only among
connoisseurs, but also within the public at large, helping as well to appeal to younger
customers. In 2007, its assertiveness and uniqueness were doubly saluted by the "Prix suissede la campagne horlogère de l’année" (Swiss award for watch advertising of the year), once
conferred by a professional jury and once by the public.
Since 2013, the Generations concept has also been at home in the digital media where online
videos showcase very private moments between fathers and sons or mothers and daughters
at many different locations in the world. Four new ads (two for men's and two for ladies'watches) were released in the fall of 2016, adding new zest and freshness with photos
featuring three generations.
Twenty years – roughly one generation – after its launch, this significant international Patek
Philippe campaign with meanwhile nearly 50 ad themes has established itself as a role model
for longevity and enjoys unique standing in the watch advertising segment, if not in advertising
per se. This lasting success is due to the strong emotional statement, to its universal validity,
but also to its perfect congruence with the beliefs of Patek Philippe customers and with thevalues of an independent family-owned manufacture that is traditionally handed down fromfather to son.

Page 3Patek Philippe Magazine: Reflections of a perfect universe
The idea behind the Patek Philippe Magazine launched in 1996 is credited to Philippe Stern,then the president of the manufacture. He wanted to share the cultural universe and thevalues upheld by the company with its customers. The concept was developed by a Londonbased publishing house that belonged to the Condé Nast Group. It provided access to world
famous contributors, journalists, writers, and photographers, making it possible to create amagazine at the pinnacle of cultural and artistic quality.
The luxurious publication is reserved for owners of Patek Philippe watches, addressing themain interests and lifestyles of a clientele with exquisite taste. It covers a broad spectrum of
topics from fine arts and architecture, fashion, design, craftsmanship, music, film,photography, and science to travel reports, not to mention portraits of distinguishedpersonalities of our era. Many topics are directly associated with the values of Patek Philippe,
not least artisanship, tradition, innovation, independence, and exclusivity.
The Patek Philippe Magazine offers its readers privileged access to the world and behind thescenes of the manufacture, featuring articles about its latest debuts and technicalachievements, but also about legendary timepieces, the history of individual collections, andthe many skills pursued in the manufacture's ateliers – both in watchmaking and in rarehandcrafts.
In the twenty years since it first appeared, the Patek Philippe Magazine has established an
outstanding reputation for its appealing content and editorial quality. It has been able to benefit
from the contributions of many prominent authors, among them José Saramago and GaoXingjian, winners of the Nobel Prize in Literature, world-famous writers such as CarlosFuentes, John Fowles and Jung Chang, as well as highly talented chroniclers including PeterYork, Will Self and Nick Foulkes. The equally superb visual material has been created byeminent photographers such as Eve Arnold, Lord Snowdon, Elliot Erwitt, Don McCullin, ReneBurri, Wim Wenders, Jason Bell, Simon Norfolk, Gautier Deblonde and John Swannell.
With its understated, elegant graphic style that reflects the image of Patek Philippe
timepieces, the Patek Philippe Magazine appears twice a year with a circulation of 285,000
copies sent to owners of Patek Philippe watches in nearly 175 countries; this is equivalent to areadership of about 600,000 people. Today, it is published in eight language editions (English,French, German, Italian, Spanish, traditional and simplified Chinese, and Japanese). The
publishing house team places great emphasis on adapting the content to the different
linguistic and cultural idiosyncrasies as opposed to verbatim translations. Recent surveys
have confirmed that this is highly appreciated by readers who consider the magazine anexcellent information source for general topics but also for everything that concerns Patek
Philippe. With its stylish design and intelligent content, the Patek Philippe Magazine has
become a veritable collector's item among friends of the brand, just like the timepieces that it
portrays with such panache.
In 2011, the manufacture took a step further and paired the print magazine with the online"Patek Philippe Magazine Extra" format that is accessible at patek.com exclusively for owners

Page 4of Patek Philippe watches. The content, developed to complement the print magazine,includes interviews with artists, writers, and collectors as well as "the-making-of" videos andpreviously unpublished archive material. Exclusive encounters with key personalities of themanufacture, such as president Thierry Stern or Sandrine Stern, the directrice of the creation
department, open up fascinating hands-on opportunities to observe typical daily activities atPatek Philippe, work in the ateliers, and sources of inspiration tapped by the master artisans.
A video viewable at patek.com (www.patek.com/en/communication/news/patek-philippemagazine-20th-anniversary) provides a chance to discover or re-explore some of the mostimportant contributions published by the Patek Philippe Magazine since it was introduced
twenty years ago.

For further information, please contact:
Jasmina Steele
International Communication & Public Relations Director
Patek Philippe Genève
P.O. Box 2654
1211 Geneva 2
Switzerland
Tel.: +41 22 884 20 20
Fax: +41 22 884 25 47
Or visit: www.patek.com