Patek Philippe was founded in Geneva in 1839 by Antoni Patek and Franciszek Czapek.
The original partnership was called Patek, Czapek & Cie. Antoni Patek later joined forces with Adrien Philippe, an inventor associated with keyless winding and setting systems, and the company became Patek, Philippe & Cie in 1851.
Patek Philippe developed a reputation for complicated mechanical watches, including perpetual calendars, chronographs, minute repeaters and highly complicated pocket watches. Its historic customers included royalty and other prominent figures, but the brand is also important for technical innovations in watchmaking.
The name is sometimes confused with other Geneva maisons founded in the nineteenth century. Vacheron Constantin dates to 1755, while Audemars Piguet began in 1875, making Patek Philippe’s 1839 foundation date distinctive.