Latest news with #PatekPhilippe
Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
The Ultimate Travel Souvenirs From France Or Switzerland
Building your own watch, jewelry or Swiss knife in Paris or Geneva is fun and creates a high-quality ... More bespoke souvenir unique to you and your travels A few years ago I had one of the more memorable travel experiences of my career when I attended a watchmaking workshop in Geneva and made my own Swiss watch. It's mechanical, it's gorgeous and every time I wear it I get compliments. It was the ultimate Swiss souvenir. But Intium, the excellent and innovative company that pioneered DIY watchmaking, has since expanded to other locations and more fascinating 'make it yourself' projects, and all of these combine the best of happy memory travel keepsakes. Whether you make a simple watch or a very fancy one, custom jewelry or your very own bespoke Swiss Army-style multi-blade utility knife, you can go home with the ultimate travel souvenirs from France or Switzerland. Paris, Geneva or Le Noirmont The highest luxury end of the Intium DIY range is building your own mechanical watch with a rare ... More tourbillon movement, like these. I wrote about the Geneva watchmaking experience in detail here at Forbes. But while the city is a logical place to do it, historically associated with the fine watch industry and home to Rolex, Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, and Audemars Piguet, there are other options. Most notably, Intium, the company that operates the workshops, expanded to Paris, one of the most popular tourism cities in the world, in 2024 (read more about the Parios store here at Forbes). They also have a third workshop in the heart of Switzerland's historic Jura watchmaking region, in Le Noirmont, between Bern and Basel. Custom jewlery, in gold or silver with or with precious stones, is another "Do It Yourself" craft ... More experience Intium offers in France and Switzerland. Three locations mean three times the options for travelers, but the latest big addition is the introduction of the all-new knife making classes, which I just tried. Multi-function utility knives are one of the most famous and iconic Swiss products, but these are better looking and better quality than the widely available mass-market brands. Basically, it is the same approach to creating a knife that Swiss watchmakers take to make fine timepieces, starting with the highest quality parts. Sharper, higher quality steel blades are manufactured by a Swiss company specializing in intricate watch components, and the program lets each attendee choose their own mix of blades and accessories. These include some useful and rarely seen options such as a tick removal tool with built-in magnifying glass, something that unfortunately is becoming much more important (just the other day the New York Times ran an article on the geographic spread of ticks and the diseases they carry). You choose every component of the knife, from blades and tools to cover material and color. You also choose the exterior of the knife, from the solid-colored plastic hues we associate with these kinds of tools to exotic and heavily grained hardwoods to satin finished titanium. Blades can be normal or matte black finishes. Assembling a knife at a workstation in one of Intium's workshops. I replaced the traditional Swiss Army knife I used to carry on hiking trips with this new one for a weeklong trip to Spain with picnics along the way and immediately noticed the better design and functionality in addition to having a better-looking knife that was a memorable keepsake. The blades are better, stronger and sharper, and in one ultra-simple example of thoughtful design, they put more coils on a longer wine cork remover than normal. That has always been one of the more frustrating functions of these knives, which either don't go in the cork far enough, or when they do, leave no room for your fingers to fit around the body and provide leverage. Easier opening of wine on a trip to Europe is an immediate and appreciated advantage. In addition, the Intium knives all have locking blades, a much safer design, one that releases easily at the push of a button. The finished product isn't just customized by you, it's the highest quality. This one evn inlcudes a ... More handy tick remover with magnifying glass for those of us who live in areas with ticks. The make your own Swiss knife classes are shorter, more accessible and more affordable than the watch classes, and it was just a perfect way to spend a morning in Geneva after an overnight flight. My wife and I arrived at the studio, which is a short walk from any of the top luxury hotels in the city, we had a great time, and now we have his and her mementos of our trip that we actually use (I just wrote a detailed profile of one of the city's great hotels, the Forbes 5-Star Mandarin-Oriental Geneva, here at Forbes). 2-hour classes start at just $234, including taking home the knife you just made. The watchmaking classes are longer and more complex, but also involve choosing every component to ... More make a truly one-of-a-kind timepiece. For watches, the slate of classes has expanded from the basic mechanical watch I made to include a more sophisticated watch with the most collectible complication of all, a tourbillon movement. Make your own watch classes that include taking one home begin at about $2,000 and run all the way the over $19,000 for the tourbillion. The jewelry making classes let you solder, hammer, shape and bend silver or gold into one-of-a-kind wearables. Many couples do this together to make their own bespoke wedding bands even more special. It is also popular with those who want to repurpose a family gemstone or diamond in a new way, and it is a special and romantic way to craft a diamond engagement ring. A basic silver ring course begins at $590 and goes to $800 with semi-precious stones, while a two-ring couples class begins at $1,490. A gold and diamond engagement ring starts at around $3,000, and a pair of 18-carat gold wedding bands can be made together for $4,380. Custom classes are offered to expand the selection of precious stones. A finished product, even Intium's most basic watch is still gorgeous, with a mechnaical Swiss ... More movement. Having now done two of the three Intium offerings, I cannot recommend the experience enough. Studios are beautiful, with well-equipped workstations and expert instruction, and if you are into watches, just the insights and knowledge you gain about mechanical movements and complications is worth the price of admission. For all the classes, the one-of-a-kind keepsakes are more special than store bought products, and truly the ultimate travel souvenirs.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Rolex, Cartier and Patek Philippe watches stolen in HK$2.1 million Hong Kong burglary
Hong Kong police are investigating a burglary where luxury goods and cash worth about HK$2.14 million in total, including 10 Rolex, Cartier and Patek Philippe watches, were stolen from a flat in Tuen Mun. Police said that they received a report at around 1.30am on Tuesday from a man, 28, who discovered the living room window in his flat at 28 Castle Peak Road had been opened. The man suspected there had been a burglary as there were signs of ransacking, a police spokesman said. Officers arrived at the scene and conducted an initial inventory of the missing items. Police said 10 watches worth around HK$1.2 million, jewellery and gold ornaments with a value of about HK$270,000, and about HK$670,000 in foreign currency, Hong Kong dollars and yuan were stolen. The insider said the watches were by Rolex, Cartier, and Patek Philippe, while the foreign currency included Australian dollars, New Zealand dollars, British pounds, euros and Swiss francs. The flat owners were the man's parents, who were travelling at the time, the source added.
The Star
24-06-2025
- The Star
Tourist who used another person's debit card to buy goods worth over S$300,000 in Singapore gets four years' jail
SINGAPORE: A man had planned to travel to Singapore in 2024 for a holiday when he received instructions from a Telegram contact to use the latter's debit card to buy gold bars and luxury watches here. Liao Nuoqian was back home in Hong Kong when an unidentified man handed him the card, and upon reaching Singapore, used it to buy items worth more than S$300,000 in total. They included multiple gold bars, three Rolex watches and a fourth watch from Patek Philippe. On Tuesday (June 24), Liao, 25, was sentenced to four years' jail. He had pleaded guilty to multiple charges including five counts of cheating involving nearly $185,000. Eighteen other charges, including 10 counts of cheating relating to more than $116,000, were considered during his sentencing. Deputy Public Prosecutor Lim Li Ting said that his offences were linked to three Chinese nationals. Their full names have been redacted from court documents, which identified the trio as Wang, 26, Zhuo, 28 and Wen, 30. Wang is a woman, while the other two are men. Liao was in Hong Kong in late July 2024 when he befriended the male contact, known only as 'Gan Tie Xia', from a Telegram group chat where users shared sexual content with one another. The prosecutor told the court that Liao knew that Gan was a Chinese national, but the two men had never met each other. Liao also did not know his real name, address and contact number. During one of their chats on the messaging platform, Liao told Gan that he would be travelling to Singapore in August 2024 for a holiday. Hearing this, Gan asked if Liao could use Gan's debit card to buy gold bars and luxury watches in Singapore. DPP Lim said: 'Thereafter, the accused was to pass the purchased items to (Gan, through Gan's acquaintances) in Singapore. '(Gan also) promised to engage the accused to resell the goods overseas and share the profits with him.' When Liao questioned him about the plan, Gan replied that he wanted the funds deposited in the account linked to his debit card to flow out from China to another undisclosed country. Liao agreed to help Gan and several days before flying to Singapore, received the China-issued debit card from an unidentified man. The card holder's name was not stated on it, the court heard. Gan also told Liao to forge the card holder's signature shown at the back of the card when making purchases. 'This was to give the impression that the accused was the rightful card holder,' said the prosecutor. Liao arrived in Singapore on Aug 26, 2024, and Gan asked for a photograph of his passport details to arrange for his accommodation here. Liao went to an undisclosed hotel and was at its lobby when he met Wen, who took him to a room to meet Zhuo and Wang. He then handed over the debit card when Wen asked for it. Liao then shared the room with Wen, while Zhuo and Wang shared another room. The next day, Gan shared with Liao the personal identification number linked to the card. He instructed him to follow Zhuo to various stores, and use it to buy gold bars and watches. The prosecutor said: '(Gan) had earlier informed Zhuo of the specific stores to bring the accused to. The accused did as instructed, and Zhuo handed the card to the accused to make the purchases. 'At each store, (either Gan or Zhuo) would inform the accused of the specific watch or quantity of gold bars to purchase. Thereafter, Zhuo would leave the store for the accused to complete the purchase.' Zhuo told Liao that he could not remain in the stores, claiming he had previously bought gold bars or watches from them. Zhuo also claimed that the employees of the stores would recognise him and become suspicious if he returned to buy more of such items. Liao used the card to buy the luxury items on Aug 27 and 28. After that, he handed the goods and the card to Zhuo. Liao was in his hotel room when he saw Wen removing the watches from their packaging before storing the gold bars in the watch boxes. Wen then placed the valuables in his own luggage, and Liao received a gold bar for his role in the operation. Court documents stated that Zhuo left Singapore on Aug 28, 2024, while Wang and Wen did so the next day. The offences came to light when Singapore's Commercial Affairs Department received information that a scam victim transferred more than 148,000 yuan (S$26,400) to the bank account linked to the debit card. Officers arrested Liao in Orchard Road on Aug 30, 2024. - The Straits Times/ANN
Straits Times
24-06-2025
- Straits Times
Tourist who used another person's debit card to buy goods worth over $300k gets 4 years' jail
Liao Nuoqian pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including five counts of cheating involving nearly $185,000. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG Tourist who used another person's debit card to buy goods worth over $300k gets 4 years' jail SINGAPORE – A man had planned to travel to Singapore in 2024 for a holiday when he received instructions from a Telegram contact to use the latter's debit card to buy gold bars and luxury watches here. Liao Nuoqian was back home in Hong Kong when an unidentified man handed him the card, and upon reaching Singapore, used it to buy items worth more than $300,000 in total. They included multiple gold bars, three Rolex watches and a fourth watch from Patek Philippe. On June 24, Liao, 25, was sentenced to four years' jail. He had pleaded guilty to multiple charges including five counts of cheating involving nearly $185,000. Eighteen other charges, including 10 counts of cheating relating to more than $116,000, were considered during his sentencing. Deputy Public Prosecutor Lim Li Ting said that his offences were linked to three Chinese nationals. Their full names have been redacted from court documents, which identified the trio as Wang, 26, Zhuo, 28 and Wen, 30. Wang is a woman, while the other two are men. Liao was in Hong Kong in late July 2024 when he befriended the male contact, known only as 'Gan Tie Xia', from a Telegram group chat where users shared sexual content with one another. The DPP told the court Liao knew that Gan was a Chinese national, but the two men had never met each other. Liao also did not know his real name, address and contact number. During one of their chats on the messaging platform, Liao told Gan that he would be travelling to Singapore in August 2024 for a holiday. Hearing this, Gan asked if Liao could use Gan's debit card to buy gold bars and luxury watches in Singapore. DPP Lim said: 'Thereafter, the accused was to pass the purchased items to (Gan, through Gan's acquaintances) in Singapore. '(Gan also) promised to engage the accused to resell the goods overseas and share the profits with him.' When Liao questioned him about the plan, Gan replied that he wanted the funds deposited in the account linked to his debit card to flow out from China to another undisclosed country. Liao agreed to help Gan and several days before flying to Singapore, received the China-issued debit card from an unidentified man. The cardholder's name was not stated on it, the court heard. Gan also told Liao to forge the cardholder's signature shown at the back of the card when making purchases. 'This was to give the impression that the accused was the rightful cardholder,' said the prosecutor. Liao arrived in Singapore on Aug 26, 2024 and Gan asked for a photograph of his passport details to arrange for his accommodation here. Liao went to an undisclosed hotel and was at its lobby when he met Wen, who took him to a room to meet Zhuo and Wang. He then handed over the debit card when Wen asked for it. Liao then shared the room with Wen, while Zhuo and Wang shared another room. The next day, Gan shared with Liao the personal identification number linked to the card. He instructed him to follow Zhuo to various stores, and use it to buy gold bars and watches. The DPP said: '(Gan) had earlier informed Zhuo of the specific stores to bring the accused to. The accused did as instructed, and Zhuo handed the card to the accused to make the purchases. 'At each store, (either Gan or Zhuo) would inform the accused of the specific watch or quantity of gold bars to purchase. Thereafter, Zhuo would leave the store for the accused to complete the purchase.' Zhuo told Liao that he could not remain in the stores, claiming he had previously bought gold bars or watches from them. Zhuo also claimed that the employees of the stores would recognise him and become suspicious if he returned to buy more of such items. Liao used the card to buy the luxury items on Aug 27 and 28, 2024. After that, he handed the goods and the card to Zhuo. Liao was in his hotel room when he saw Wen removing the watches from their packaging before storing the gold bars in the watch boxes. Wen then placed the valuables in his own luggage, and Liao received a gold bar for his role in the operation. Court documents stated that Zhuo left Singapore on Aug 28, 2024, while Wang and Wen did so the next day. The offences came to light when Singapore's Commercial Affairs Department received information that a scam victim transferred more than 148,000 yuan (S$26,000) to the bank account linked to the debit card. Officers arrested Liao in Orchard Road on Aug 30, 2024. Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times' court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Times
20-06-2025
- Business
- Times
Inside Patek Philippe, where watchmaking runs in the family
Coming up with a new watch isn't a nine-to-five job for Thierry Stern, the president of watchmaking house Patek Philippe. It's more of a 24-hour preoccupation. 'I get new ideas when I'm sleeping,' he says. Even though he had to give up being head of the creative division when he took over the leadership role from his father in 2009, he says he's still very hands-on with new timepieces. 'To me, designing's the best part and I don't want to give it up.' Quadruple Complication A showpiece of highly sophisticated micro-engineering, featuring a minute repeater, a tourbillon, an instantaneous perpetual calendar and a split-seconds or rattrapante ('catch up') function, housed in an elegant white gold case. £1,060,000 He's at Watches and Wonders, the international watch fair held in his home town of Geneva, to meet clients and collectors and also keep an eye on what competitors are up to. 'Other watchmaking companies might complain, 'We don't know what to do. Everything has been done,' ' he says. 'But for me, creating new watches is a passion. It's my favourite activity and I'm quite good at it.' Founded in 1839, Patek Philippe is the last remaining family-run haute horlogerie house in Geneva. Thierry is the fourth generation of the Stern family that has run the business since 1932, with his grandfather Henri becoming president in 1958 followed by his father, Philippe, in 1993, now honorary president. The house is renowned for timepieces considered by connoisseurs and collectors to be among the world's finest. They're characterised by a refined and timeless aesthetic as well as trailblazing technical innovations, from chiming minute repeaters to perpetual calendars, which have earned the company more than 100 patents. Cubitus Adding to the handsome 'square with rounded edges' Cubitus family, launched last autumn, are two new relatives with a slightly smaller case size at a versatile 40mm, in rose gold paired with brown and also in white gold with a blue dial. £65,600 As an independent manufacture with everything done in-house — from R&D and creating and engineering all complications to assembly — Patek Philippe benefits from full creative freedom. That's what allows Stern to keep dreaming about bezels and bridges. The creation process begins with a four-strong team. 'We share experiences of travelling, relating feedback from international markets, from retailers and clients,' he says. But mostly, 'We think of new ideas for watches. I always push to the limit — the others are perhaps too respectful to do this; they need me for the edge. Then we imagine if the idea can fit into our collections and whether clients will accept them.' Turning the dream into reality takes a long time. 'We work three years in advance. What you see today we finished a year ago and started the project two years before that. We're now working on watches for 2028.' New-movement projects can take a minimum of 4-5 years, and a supercomplicated calibre 10-12 years. 'The target at Patek is two innovations each year,' Stern says. Projects can span decades. 'There's a clock in the new collection we just unveiled and it's one I started 15 years ago — I had to convince the commercial team and, at the time, my dad — and now I have it.' Calatrava A striking daily wearer, a fresh take on the reference first launched in 1932. Now in platinum, the 38mm piece continues the range's Bauhaus-inspired minimalist aesthetic and its clean, opaline rose-gilt dial delivers a vintage vibe. £40,370 Passing the horological legacy to a new generation is hardwired into the firm. 'You won't be excellent in watchmaking until you have a minimum of ten years' experience. That's what I'm teaching my sons now. I ask them, 'Are you really motivated to work for Patek?' You need the passion, the drive. They have it: my older son, who's 23, is already working with us, then my younger son has to finish school. I tell them they need to learn from the ground up and stay down to earth. That's important. I say, 'You can always ask me, as I learnt from my father and grandfather.' ' Keeping it in the family is the secret to Patek's success, Stern maintains. 'It helps in times of decision making — there's no one pushing me,' he adds. 'There are no shareholders to please. It's a chess game. I have my plans.'
