As a former International Watch Director at Christie’s, Reardon released here, a website dedicated to providing information and education about vintage Patek Philippe replica watches. While working for Patek Philippe, I was often asked which charities Patek Philippe supported. I honestly could not answer this question and be quietly told that the family and managers around the world preferred to give discreetly and anonymously.
However, the deeper I dug into this question, the more I learned about how Patek Philippe gives back in some expected, and some unexpected, ways. I think the generous donations shared in this article only scratch the surface of how the company gives back to the global community, and it certainly shares some insights into Patek Philippe’s support of philanthropic causes, particularly initiatives related to health and welfare of children around the world.
More publicly, Patek Philippe has produced pieces that have been donated to various charities, which have been sold at auctions around the world for special figures, with every euro or franc going to the charity. I have tried to list all known pieces, but if you know of others, please let me know and I will add them to this list. These watches show not only generosity to charity, but also Patek Philippe’s willingness to explore new designs and unique metals, most notably steel and titanium.
Patek Philippe began creating unique watches in 2007 for Action for Children, a Geneva-based charity whose slogan is “The first human right is the right to a childhood.” 6000T. The copy watch has since appeared at auction three times, most recently at Phillips, where it sold for $240,000. Read more here.
This exceptionally lightweight watch is one of the first known skeletonized watches made by Patek Philippe in this special alloy. This unique watch has a sapphire caseback marked “Children Action 2015” and the blue markers and blue hands on the dial make this watch distinctly different from the regular production 5396.
A unique Children Action charity watch was recently sold a few years ago. The titanium Ref. 5524T received CHF 2.3 million at an auction held by Christie’s in Geneva. Not only is the case unique, but the dial features a previously unseen brushed satin finish.
