What triggered the process that led you to create the Patek Philippe seal?
Our lengthy reflection on this issue began four years ago. We wanted to find a way of better representing Patek Philippe quality, since it was not clearly defined for our customers. We communicated a good deal on the Geneva Seal, but we wanted to go a step further. The Geneva Seal essentially defines the finishing of the components, which is fine, but it does not deal with the movement's reliability, nor its precision.
Rumour had it that you did not appreciate the fact that Cartier joined the club of brands carrying the Geneva Seal in 2008.
No, it really has nothing to do with Cartier. Simply drafting a list of all the quality criteria relating to the Patek Philippe Seal took us a full two years, so our approach began well before 2008.
http://en.worldtempus.com/article/watch-reviews/patek-philippe-candid-interview-philippe-stern-326195
