Press release
Patek Philippe SA Geneva
November 2016
Patek Philippe: The Authorized Biography
The definitive history of the legendary Swiss manufacture
Written by Nicholas Foulkes, an acclaimed specialist in art and horology, and spanning over 500
pages, this work describes the evolution of the independent Genevan manufacture from its beginnings
in 1839 to the present. The English edition is being released in November and will be followed by otherlanguages as of 2018.
Drawing on exclusive interviews with the company’s owners and with staff and watchmakers past andpresent, as well as on hitherto unseen documents from the company’s archives, Patek Philippe: TheAuthorized Biography celebrates the history of a unique company. Renowned historian, author, andeditor Nicholas Foulkes traces Patek Philippe’s history from founder Antoine Norbert de Patek’s earlylife in Poland as a young cavalry officer fighting in a doomed uprising. He recounts Patek’s exile, hislife in Geneva, his meeting with gifted watchmaker Jean Adrien Philippe, and the 1932 purchase of thecompany by the Stern family, whose members, over four generations, have turned it into the legendthat it is today. His vibrant narrative pays tribute not only to the creations of the Genevan manufacture
but also to the gifted individuals who forged its history – especially to the many generations ofwatchmakers and artisans who can take credit for its success.
Among other notable anecdotes, The Authorized Biography reveals, for the first time, the story of aunique timepiece bought by Queen Victoria for her husband Prince Albert. In addition, Nicholas
Foulkes was granted privileged access to interview the widow of famed Swiss jewelry designer GeraldGenta, who was responsible for the design of the first Nautilus model in 1976.
Reflecting the author’s eclectic cultural background, the richly illustrated book maps out a fascinating
journey that spans the last two centuries. Its focus is on trends in art and the progression ofwatchmaking within a broader historic context.

Quote from Philippe Stern“I am very pleased to see the history of my family’s company come to life in this excellent volume. Thisis the first time that the Patek Philippe archive has been accessed and brought to life in a factual anddefinitive work. Nicholas Foulkes has perfectly recreated the atmosphere and details of our 175-year
journey.”
Philippe Stern
Honorary President of Patek Philippe

PATEK PHILIPPE SA GENEVE
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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Biography of Nicholas Foulkes
Nicholas Foulkes is the author of around twenty books. He is best known for his critically acclaimed
trilogy of nineteenth-century histories: Scandalous Society: Passion and Celebrity in the NineteenthCentury (a biography of Count d’Orsay); Dancing Into Battle: A Social History of the Battle of Waterloo;
and Gentlemen and Blackguards: Gambling Mania and the Plot to Steal the Derby of 1844. Foulkes isa columnist for Country Life magazine; a contributing editor to the FT’s How To Spend It magazine; acontributing editor to Vanity Fair; luxury editor of British GQ; and special horological consultant for thePatek Philippe magazine. He is the founding editor of Vanity Fair On Art, and he has written about thearts for a wide range of periodicals. In 2009, he was appointed to the board of the Norman Mailer
Center. He is a graduate of Hertford College, Oxford, and lives in London with his wife and two sons,
who have graciously accepted his obsession with fine watches – a predilection that has possessed him
since childhood.

Key facts:
Written by renowned historian, author, and editor Nicholas Foulkes
Based on exclusive interviews with personalities who played pivotal roles in the history of thecompany as well as on original documents from Patek Philippe’s archives that were entirely recurated over a period of more than 20 years
Contains numerous previously unseen photos including one of a watch loaned to the company byits owner, Queen Elizabeth II
Over 600 images, including specially commissioned photography by Andy Barter, Richard Foster,Jonas Marguet, and Jennifer Niederhauser Schlup
544 pages, 25 chapters, including a 40-page watch reference appendix and picture notes
Format 289 x 305 mm
Published by Preface, part of world-renowned publisher Penguin Random House
Print run of 10,000 copies published in English, November 2016
Other language versions to follow as of 2018
The book can be ordered via patek.com as of now (http://www.patek.com/en/company/library)
Starting in December 2016, Patek Philippe: The Authorized Biography will also be available forpurchase at the Patek Philippe Museum Geneva, the Patek Philippe Salons in Geneva, London andParis, and from local authorized Patek Philippe retailers. Please contact them for availability. The bookwill also be available from bookstores.

page 3For further information, please contact:
Jasmina Steele
International Communication & Public Relations Director
Patek Philippe, Geneva
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