Page 55 - Sharp September 2021

ASK AN INSIDER
FERIT TECIMER
OWNER, HUMBERTOWN JEWELLERS
What is Patek’s approach to build-
ing complications?
It falls into two categories at Patek
Philippe: the complications and the
grand complications. The founda-
tions of the complications are the 1. chronograph, world timer, and annual
calendar models. The annual calen- dar was invented by Patek and shows the correct day, date, and month for every day of the year, and the date must be manually adjusted only once a year, on March 1.
2.
for some people it’s wine, for some it’s cars, and if you love watches then you naturally move towards more complicated ones, since these represent the pinnacle of technical and decorative artistry.
Why do high complications like tourbillons command such a price premium?
These watches contain hundreds of parts, all of which must be as- sembled and decorated by hand. It takes years of experience to work on a watch like this and there are very few people in the world who can do it. Because it’s all hand-finished at Patek, it takes time, and they can produce very few pieces each year. This is why they’re valuable and also difficult to get.
For 2021, what new complications are collectors most excited for? For years, in the wristwatch perpet- ual calendar, the day and the month were in one place and the date was in another. Now they’ve found a way to do it so that the day, date, and month are all in line together, and they’ve released it as the Ref. 5236P. Put- ting those complications together in one line is technically very difficult to do, but it also looks really clean and nice on the dial. Collectors appreciate the creative engineering solutions required to achieve this, which is why demand is high for this new refer- ence. But, of course, the availability is limited for a watch like that.
What’s your advice to a collector who is just starting down the rabbit hole of Patek complications? For someone who’s starting out with their collection, we suggest they start with an annual calendar. We don’t want to push you into something very complicated, because you have to understand it and enjoy it before you get into the higher complications. As you grow your collection, you can keep getting something more com- plicated each time. If you love it, then you keep going, and if you don’t love it, you stop. Some people want to buy these watches because the value will go up, but that’s not a good reason to buy a watch. You should buy a watch because you love it.
The perpetual calendar, which
requires no such adjustment, is a
mainstay of the Patek grand com-
plications. In addition, this group
includes Patek’s iconic perpetual
calendar chronographs, minute re-
peaters, and astronomical complica-
tions. Amongst these is the Sky Moon It’s Tourbillon Ref. 6002, which has a
total of 12 complications, including
a perpetual calendar and a minute
repeater on one side, and on the
other side, a sky chart showing the
positions of the stars in the northern
hemisphere in real time, as well as
the phase and orbit of the moon. I’ve
sold all of those watches, but in my
20 years as a Patek Philippe dealer,
I’ve only sold two of the Sky Moon
Tourbillon timepieces — that’s how
rare they are.
3.
We’ve all got alarms and world timers on our phones now, of course. What’s the appeal of having this functionality on your watch?
It’s like having a copy of a painting versus the original. While each has a place for different people, those who are passionate about art appreciate the original. Everyone has a hobby;
owner of Humbertown Jewellers, makes dreams come true. As one of very few Patek Philippe dealers in Canada, Tecimer serves as a direct conduit between his clients and the brand’s Swiss work- shop where some of the world’s most coveted, valuable, and rare watches are made. Of all of these, none attract more attention among collectors than complications — a watchmaking term for any function on a watch that isn’t hours, minutes, or seconds. We asked Tecimer to explain what makes these watches so unique, from chronographs and calendars to celestial maps and chimes.
SHARPMAGAZINE.COM
SEPTEMBER 2021 • WATCH 55
Complicated
A veteran Patek Philippe dealer explains the art of the complication
F
1. PATEK PHILIPPE 5374G MINUTE REPEATER WITH PERPETUAL CALENDAR (PRICE ON REQUEST). 2. PATEK PHILIPPE 5236P IN-LINE PERPETUAL CALENDAR ($160,100). 3. PATEK PHILIPPE 6002R-001 SKY MOON TOURBILLON HAUT ARTISANAT (PRICE ON REQUEST)
AT HUMBERTOWN JEWELLERS
OR WATCH COLLECTORS IN CANADA, FERIT TECIMER,