Patek Philippe’s Instagram Account is a Virtual History Book

Luxury Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe finally joined us in the twenty-first century in 2018, with a genuinely incredible Instagram account.

Until the creation of the Instagram account, the brand’s digital marketing has been non-committal, to say the least. And while the very existence of a social media presence seems to contradict the brand, they have taken Instagram to a whole new level by turning the brand’s feed into an absolutely beautiful flow-on visual history lesson. Each photo is part of a larger image of twelve squares and includes a short caption about different moments in the brand’s history.

Since March 2018, Patek Philippe has uploaded one of these “episodes” on the 18th day of every month. They include the images that fit within the larger picture, short videos and captions. The little write-ups include information about various new-release and older watches, little known facts about the brand, and tiny history lessons.

The first of these captions introduces the project:

“Antoine Norbert de Patek and Jean Adrien Philippe had one common ambition: To develop and manufacture the finest timepieces in the world. Explore the stories behind the oldest and only independent family-owned Genevan manufacture on the 18th of each month, at 18:39 GMT+2. A time known as #PatekTime.”

Patek Philippe watches are known for their high quality and they are, partly due to their equivalent cost, extremely exclusive. For that reason, it’s no surprise that their social media content is similarly considered, high end and enjoyable.

Unlike many designer brands, they have eschewed the trend of influencers and instead rely on thoughtful details and storied history to create content that matches the quality of their product.

Within twenty-four hours of launching their Instagram account, Patek Philippe had 26,000 followers, and today they have more than 1.1 million followers.

As well as the history of the brand, followers can learn about upcoming product releases, how to spot fake products and some of the quirks of horology.

Waiting a month between posts seems to fit Patek Philippe’s more traditional, good-things-take-time brand. After all, the brand's tagline is, “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.”

A more recent post tells the story of brand co-founder Antoine Norbert de Patak’s promotional tour in the mid-1850s.

“In November 1854 Antoine Norbert de Patek, co-founder of Patek Philippe, bid his wife and colleagues farewell and set off for New York from Geneva, travelling via Paris then Liverpool, England,” the story begins.

“He didn’t know it yet, but this tour to promote Patek Philippe in the New World would be his most protracted and involved journey since leaving Poland almost a quarter of a century earlier.”

The story includes short vignette films, illustrations, photographs of products from the time and historical documents. Along with the images, the captions add colour to the story with details like:

“On arrival in New York during his 1854 business trip, Antoine Norbert de Patek checked himself into one of the smartest hotels in town, the St Nicholas. But his room was promptly burgled and all of value taken.

“Then, on top of that, his initial meeting with Tiffany & Co. was a disappointment as the company was not in a position to purchase all the watches that Patek had planned to sell to them.”

For a departure from influencers, glossy product shots and daily updates, the Patek Philippe Instagram account is a great follow. It feels thoughtful, intelligent and built to last—much like its luxury watches—and we can’t wait for the next instalment of this virtual history book.

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