IWS meets Patek Philippe President Thierry Stern
IWS: Today we are going to talk about the upcoming Watch Art Grand Exhibition in Milan, as well as some of this year’s novelties.
I would like to begin with the brand itself. Patek Philippe has always been about family, transmission, and continuity between generations. How do you see the future of the brand in this regard?
IWS Founder Fabrizio Bonvicino and Patek Philippe President Thierry Stern.
Thierry Stern: People often say that it’s about family transmission, and of course it is, but before anything else, it’s about passion. That is the key. There is no way you can lead a company like this if you do not truly love fine watchmaking. You need to understand the product completely: the movement, the case, the dial, the hands, the bracelet, the clasp, every single detail. You need to know how things are made and why they matter.
I am the fourth generation, and now the fifth generation is arriving. I have two sons. One is already working with me, and the other will likely join in the coming years. But transmitting this legacy does not depend only on me, it depends on them. You have to genuinely love what you do.
As parents, our role is to give our children the opportunity to learn, to be educated, to discover the world. After that, they must choose their own path. My son joined Patek Philippe because he truly wanted to, and that makes all the difference. When you enjoy what you do, you can achieve extraordinary things.
And you are never alone. Patek Philippe is a large family. If people see that you work hard and genuinely love the product, they will support you.
IWS: Passion is clearly the driving force. But it’s also a learning process. How was it for you in the beginning? Were you afraid or excited?
Thierry Stern: Afraid? No, I don’t think so. Excited? Definitely.
Your first meetings, your first trips, your first fairs, everything feels exciting in the beginning. But at the same time, you quickly understand that you know very little. And that is important. You have to listen. Ideally, you should have a mentor, someone you can learn from.
Then you simply grow step by step. Nobody becomes perfect overnight. You make mistakes, you learn from them, and slowly you evolve. That’s exactly how it happened for me.
Of course, I felt pressure on my shoulders. But pressure helps you grow. The more experience you gain, the lighter that pressure becomes. Today I’m 55 years old. The pressure is still there, but I no longer feel it in the same way. Now, perhaps, that pressure is more on the shoulders of my sons… and my team.
IWS: Do you still personally listen to every minute repeater before it leaves the manufacture?
Thierry Stern: Of course. That is extremely important to me. I learned this from my father many years ago. I remember watching him in amazement, wondering how he could judge a minute repeater simply by listening to it. There are many things to evaluate: the harmony between the hours, quarters, and minutes, the vibration of the gong, the longevity of the sound, the beauty of the tone. We classify them into different levels: A, B, C, depending on their quality.
Every single minute repeater timepiece produced goes through a final sound test by Thierry Stern himself.
When I was younger, it felt impossible to understand these nuances. Today, it takes me only a minute or two. In fact, I could probably close my eyes, listen to a minute repeater, and identify the reference and even the size of the gong. This is something I now try to transmit to the next generation. My son often joins me while I inspect minute repeaters, and I explain to him how to listen, what to pay attention to, what matters.
I would never allow such an important piece to leave the manufacture if I am not fully satisfied with it. Even if a client has a birthday or an important event, if the watch is not perfect, I will not deliver it. Sometimes the watchmaker has to redo part of the work. And I know how difficult that is, because they may have already spent over 100 hours on the piece. That’s why I always speak to them directly, with respect. We discuss the problem together.
It’s a dialogue and sometimes they even try to trick me. They intentionally give me a piece that is not perfect, just to see if I notice. And yes… I notice.
IWS: Speaking about this year’s releases and the anniversary of the Nautilus, is there a particular piece you feel especially proud of?
Thierry Stern: For me, the greatest success is when the entire collection works together. Having one successful watch is easy. Creating fifteen or twenty new references in a single year, all successful together, that is the real challenge.
When we launch a collection, I hope every piece will resonate with people. But in the end, the retailers and clients decide, not me. My work is done at that point. I can only hope people will love what we created. At Patek Philippe, creativity is essential. We are constantly developing new designs and new movements. And what surprises me sometimes is how far ahead we plan.
Some brands tell me they don’t yet know what they will launch in two or three years. I already know the movements we will launch until 2039. In terms of design, we are usually working three or four years ahead. That level of anticipation is necessary. A watch must be perfect before launch. The watchmakers and after-sales teams need time to prepare. Because if something goes wrong and mechanical watches can always require servicing we must be ready to repair and support it properly.
Even today, I am already working on the 200th anniversary of Patek Philippe. Maybe I won’t be there anymore when it happens. But perhaps my son Adrian will be the one presenting those watches. And I love that idea.
IWS: This year Patek Philippe will bring the Watch Art Grand Exhibition to Milan. Why did you choose Milan?
Thierry Stern: It was not an easy decision. We were hesitating between Europe and the Middle East.
But Milan felt right. It’s central, international, elegant, and there is a deep culture of watchmaking passion in Italy. I still remember my father telling me: “If Italians love a watch, it will succeed everywhere.” That idea stayed with me forever.
Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition 2026 edition in Milan
The Italian market is knowledgeable. People understand watches here. And that makes the exhibition even more meaningful. The exhibition will bring together the best of Patek Philippe: watchmakers, artisans, commercial teams, pieces from the museum, rare handcrafts, novelties, everything.
It’s not simply about showing watches. It’s about opening the doors to the world of Patek Philippe.
IWS: Rare Handcrafts always play an important role in these exhibitions. How challenging is it to create pieces inspired by the host country?
Thierry Stern: Honestly, the challenge is not creating them. The challenge is allocating them.
For me, when we organize an exhibition in another country, it’s important to give something back to that country. That is why certain Rare Handcrafts and special editions will be dedicated exclusively to the Italian market. It’s a matter of respect.
The exhibition is a rare opportunity for fans to admire many exclusive designs and limited editions
The real difficulty comes afterward, because suddenly everyone wants to become Italian. But Rare Handcrafts are not about business for me. They are about passion and heritage. They exist to preserve techniques and artistic traditions that are slowly disappearing. When someone buys one of these pieces, they become the guardian of that craft and that history.
IWS: One final question. The Cubitus collection generated a lot of discussion when it launched. How has it evolved since then?
Thierry Stern: Launching a collection like Cubitus is like playing chess. You need to think several moves ahead.
When we decided to stop the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711, many people thought we were crazy. But I needed those movements for Cubitus, and I also believed it was simply the right moment to stop the 5711. We had produced enough of them.
Cubitus was planned years in advance. Today it has found its own place within the sporty side of the collection, alongside Nautilus and Aquanaut. It has its own identity and its own DNA.
Initially, we imagined it as something that could appeal especially to younger collectors. But the reality is that established collectors wanted it immediately. That is often what happens.
At the end of the day, my philosophy remains the same: quality before quantity. Always. I don’t have shareholders pushing me to produce more and more watches. I make decisions based on what I believe is right for the brand and for the future of my family.
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