Switzerland: Philippe Stern, former president of Patek Philippe, has died

Zurich - Patek Philippe announced on Monday the death of its former president, Philippe Stern. He represented the third generation at the helm of the prestigious, family-owned Swiss watchmaker.

The father of the current president, Stern served as president of the company from 1993 to 2009. He “passed away on June 14, 2026, in his 88th year,” the company stated in a press release.

The grandson of Charles Stern, who bought the manufacturer with his brother in 1932, Stern was “considered one of the most important leaders in the industry,” the company added. It also highlighted that he played “a leading role in the promotion and success” of Swiss watchmaking.

He notably steered the company through the 1970s, a time when the sector was facing a severe crisis with the arrival of Japanese quartz watches on the market.

The press release recounts that while “many thought the mechanical watch had had its day,” Stern “was not of this opinion.” It explains that “despite the public’s apparent lack of interest, he was convinced there was still a place for traditional timepieces.” He believed in a clientele that valued “fine craftsmanship” over “mass production.”

In the early 1980s, he launched an ambitious project to create the world's most complicated portable mechanical watch. After nine years of development, this resulted in the Calibre 89, which features 33 complications.

Born in Geneva in 1938, Stern spent his entire career with the company. Following family tradition, he was committed to learning the business “from the ground up,” states the press release. He worked in New York during the 1960s, gaining hands-on experience in the watch trade. He later returned to Geneva to deepen his knowledge of the inner workings of watchmaking.

He is notably credited with the 1976 launch of the Nautilus watch, a luxury sports model in steel. This launch disrupted the conventions of fine watchmaking at the time, and the model has since established itself as one of the brand's flagship references.

In 2009, he handed over the reins to his son, Thierry Stern, but retained the role of honorary president.

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