Patek Philippe 1950s Yellow 18K Gold Open Face Pocket Watch

It shouldn’t be surprising that a Patek Philippe holds the world auction record for a watch ($31.2 million for a Patek Grandmaster Chime, sold at Christie’s). Known for impeccable craftsmanship and some of the most complicated timepieces ever created, the brand is considered by many to be the height of fine watchmaking. Collectors simply love Patek Philippe watches.

The house was founded in Geneva in 1839 by Polish expats Antoni Patek and Franciszek Czapek. Czapek left the firm, and in 1845, Patek partnered with French watchmaker Jean Adrien Philippe. It was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Catering to the glitterati of Europe, the pair counted among their clients Tolstoy, Pope Pius IX and Queen Victoria, as well as Countess Koscowicz of Hungary, for whom they created the first Swiss-made wristwatch in 1868. They also had their eye on the American market and in 1851 entered an arrangement with Tiffany & Co. still in effect today.

During the Great Depression, brothers Jean and Charles Stern, who had previously supplied Patek Philippe with watch dials, bought the company, and it continues to be run by the Stern family today.

Under the Sterns, the house has developed some of its most famous models, including the Calatrava, an elegantly minimal dress watch introduced in 1932 and named for the Calatrava Cross (the company’s logo since 1887), and the Nautilus, the brand’s first sports watch, conceived by legendary designer Gérald Genta in 1976.

Despite the house’s longevity, it’s rumored that it has manufactured fewer than a million Patek watches, making each one all the more coveted. (The brand's pieces are understandably attractive to counterfeiters — make sure you know how to spot a fake Patek Philippe watch.)

Find authentic Patek Philippe watches, cufflinks, bracelets and more on 1stDibs today.

The real soul of "Ferrara GiFè Gioielli" is its designer, founder and owner Luigi Ferrara. Luigi is an Italian artisan born in Napoli with a long family history in jewels world and an innate passion for them. His taste and unmistakable Italian style shape the whole Company, his collections, his image and his winning attitude. Luigi founded the Company "Luigi Ferrara" in 1972 which later became "Ferrara GiFè Gioielli" In its first years the growth has been outstanding, thanks to the wonderful design and the strong impact of his creations. "Ferrara GiFè Gioielli" is still a young company full of energy, ideas and passion, that gains place among the most important jewelry brands, representing Made in Italy all over the world. The creative philosophy of Luigi Ferrara is based on his patient work of research of simplicity, on the development of the structural and esthetic qualities of the materials with a careful look at the continuous evolution of the habits and the taste of society. For Luigi Ferrara a jewel does not come simply from an aesthetic experience, but it is also a model of functional beauty. Forms that fit on the body and come to be part of it, expressing moods and sensations of the person who wears them. The Company can boast a wide catalog that ranges from vintage pieces (Originals or reproductions) to modern ones. The experience of our artisans gives life to wonderful handmade pieces, where the harmony between precious stones and materials is the sovereign.