A caseback view of Ref. 7130G
The new Ladies’ World Time Ref. 7130G New York 2017 Special Edition
his famed“ Ich bin ein Berliner” speech. The desk clock was made to signify the establishment of a direct communication line between Washington, D. C., and Moscow, and thus showcases the time in Moscow, Washington, D. C., and Berlin.
Timing sporting events, long an important inspiration for technical advancements in watchmaking, also inspired many athletes to seek unusual clocks and watches. Among these was famed New York Yankee Joe DiMaggio, who once owned a 1948 Patek Philippe Ref. 130J. The owners of the New York Yankees reportedly gifted the watch to DiMaggio.
THE EXHIBIT The vast space, just across the street from Grand Central Terminal, is a glittering former bank building that Patek Philippe transformed with a two-story structure inside comprised of ten themed exhibition rooms curated to showcase the Geneva company’ s history and to present fine watchmaking to the general public.
Within those ten rooms, which included( among others) a Theater Room, a Current Collection Room, a Museum Room, a U. S. Historic Room, a Rare Handcrafts Gallery and a Grand Complications Room, visitors had access to pocket and wristwatches dating back to 1530 in a space measuring a whopping 13,218 square feet.
In addition to the historic exhibit, Patek Philippe also presented interactive watchmaker and artisan demonstrations helped educate visitors about fine watchmaking.
“ By offering visitors an immersion inside the world of Patek Philippe, we really wanted to share our passion for watchmaking and hope visitors came out of the Exhibition with a greater knowledge and appreciation of the art of watches,” says Jasmina Steele, the international communication & public relations director of Patek Philippe.“ New York was a logical choice for the US Grand Exhibition, as this was one of the first landing spots for Patek and Philippe in the 1800’ s when they began to explore the new world,” adds Larry Pettinelli, president of Patek Philippe U. S.
The exhibit was not far from Rockefeller Center, where Henri Stern, grandfather of current company president Thierry Stern, launched the Henry Stern Watch Agency in 1946 a century after the Geneva-based company first began selling its pocket watches in the United States.
“ I am very proud that American visitors were able to learn more about the historic and contemporary ties between our company and the American market,” Stern says. In addition to the timepieces featured in the U. S. Historic room, highlights included a Patek Philippe Ref. 6002 Sky Moon Tourbillon from 2013, a Caliber 89 from 1989 and an 1851 pocket watch with an enameled portrait of George Washington.
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