The Unique Timepieces Made By Fake Patek Philippe For Charity
While working for Patek Philippe, I was often asked what charities Patek Philippe supported. I honestly could not answer this question and was 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 that I learned about how Patek Philippe gives back in some expected, and some unexpected ways. I imagine that the generous contributions that are shared in this article only scratch at the surface at what the company gives back to the global community, and it definitely shares some insight into what Patek Philippe supports philanthropically, particularly global initiatives for the health and the welfare of children.
At the Henri Stern Agency, I constantly saw random acts of kindness by the company and fellow employees that brought a smile to my face. Once, for example, I remember a gentleman brought in a Calatrava that was in a vault at the World Trade Center during 9/11. The watch was completely destroyed by heat and water with its dial melted into a heavily oxidized movement, and its 18K gold case with the color and shape so changed that it looked like it was from a Salvador Dali painting. In the end, Patek Philippe fully restored this watch to as-new condition as a personal message of hope to the owner and a sort of modern-day Memento Mori. This was a small gesture that exemplifies the kind of quiet and personal charity that Patek Philippe exhibits. Day after day, I saw firsthand how Patek did the right thing to help people along in various situations. The majority of these stories will never be shared publicly and that underlines how Patek Philippe helps people, discreetly and with no need for glory or public attention.
More publicly, Patek Philippe has made a number of pieces donated to various charities that have sold at auctions around the world for exceptional numbers with every Euro or Franc going to the charitable recipient. I have attempted to list every known piece, but please let me know if you know of others and I will add them to this list. These watches not only show generosity towards the charities, but also Patek Philippe’s willingness to explore with new designs and unique metals, most notably in steel and titanium.
Children Action Patek Philippe Unique Watches
Patek Philippe started creating unique watches for Children Action, a Geneva-based replica watches uk charity that operates under the mantra, “The First Human Right is the Right to a Childhood” in 2007 with a titanium ref. 6000T (above). This watch has since appeared at auction three times, most recently at Phillips where it sold for $240,000. Read more here.
The next example was a ref. 5180T in titanium made for Children Action in 2009 (above) where it sold in Geneva at auction for CHF 520,000. This exceptionally lightweight watch is one of the first known skeletonized watches made in this special alloy by Patek Philippe.
In June of 2012, Patek Philippe made a unique ref. 5131J with a cloisonné scene of Geneva (above). My wife Andra Reardon covered this story for HODINKEE at the time. (Side note, could she have been the first female writer to have contributed a story to HODINKEE?!) This special dial depicts a view of Old Town fake Patek Philippe Geneva and the famous Jet D’Eau. The watch sold for an astonishing CHF 1 million during this auction. Read more here.
Moving on to 2015, a ref. 5396T in titanium (above) was offered for Children Action. It sold for CHF 1 million. This unique timepiece features a sapphire back marked ‘Children Action 2015,’ and the dial has blue accents on the markers and blue hands making this watch notably different than regular production 5396s.
Most recently, a unique Children Action charity watch was sold in 2018 (above). This titanium ref. 5524T brought CHF 2.3 million in an auction hosted by Christie’s in Geneva. Not only was the case unique, but the dial was made featuring a brushed satin finish that had never been seen before. The caseback was engraved “Children Action 2018”. Read more here.