In the competitive world of luxury watchmaking, one name stands out among others: Patek Philippe . A family owned, Swiss watch company, Patek Philippe has been captivating the world with its innovation, invention and unparalleled luxury watches ever since Queen Victoria famously donned a Patek Philippe watch in 1851. Patek Philippe History When French watchmaker Adrien Philippe and Polish businessman Antoni Patek met in 1844, it was history in the making. Patek had already been involved in a watch business at the time, alongside watchmaker Franciszek Czapek, but was knocked off his feet by the intricate stem and wind system Philippe had created. When Czapek left the partnership in 1851, Patek and Philippe quickly joined forces to form one of foremost names in luxury watches today: Patek Philippe. Philippe’s stem and wind system was a mere glimpse of the innovation to come. With more than 70 patents to its credit, Patek Philippe is the only timepiece manufacturer that crafts every part found in its brilliant watches. The sole Geneva watchmaker to receive the coveted Geneva Seal, Patek Philippe’s impeccable standards ensure its watches are among the most luxurious, precise examples of Swiss watches in the world. The company is rumored to put each movable component of its watches through hundreds of hours of testing, and observes the function of each manufactured watch for an entire month before releasing it to the public for purchase. That care and exquisite attention to detail explains why Patek Philippe only produces about 30,000 watches each year. Given this inventiveness and penchant for perfection, it’s no surprise that Patek Philippe holds so many “firsts” in the watch world. It released one of the first crown wound pocket watches in 1839, an innovation that would eventually do away with the act of winding a watch with a key. Patek Philippe is credited with making the world’s first wristwatch, a feat it accomplished in 1868, and the first wristwatch with a perpetual calendar. And the price of a Patek Philippe watch reflects it unparalleled manufacturing and luxury: At an astounding purchase price of $5.7 million, a Ref. 1527 Patek Philippe chronograph wristwatch in 18K gold stole the show at a 2010 Christie’s auction and set the world record for the most expensive watch ever sold. And Patek Philippe watches have fetched $1.1 million bids on more than one occasion. Notable People Who Wear Patek Philippe If you aren’t convinced of a Patek Philippe watch’s elegance and appeal, this story should do the trick: When President Franklin Delano Roosevelt had to select a gift for the Dalai Lama in 1943, he chose a Patek Philippe watch. It is reportedly one of the Dalai Lama’s favorite possessions, and the renowned leader wears it regularly to this day. Among other notable figures and celebrities who have worn Patek Philippe watches are watch aficionado Brad Pitt, who has been spotted in the Patek Philippe Nautilus Watch; John Mayer, a vintage watch collector; Johnny Depp; John Lennon, who wore a Patek Philippe Moonphase watch on his 40 th birthday; and fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, who wore a Patek Philippe at his recent wedding.