Patek Philippe has officially laid the foundation stone of its new production center at the Crêt-du-Locle, thus reinforcing its presence in La Chaux-de-Fonds

In November 2007, Patek Philippe acquired an 18,000 square meter piece of land at the Crêt-du-Locle in the Canton of Neuchâtel. The purpose of this acquisition was to reinforce the presence of the Geneva watch manufacturer in La Chaux-de-Fonds by building a production center dedicated to manufacturing watch cases and components, polishing and gem-setting.

The construction works began in April 2008 and the official ceremony for laying the foundation stone took place on Wednesday 1 October 2008. Three separate buildings are planned in this construction project. The first one will house three companies – Calame, Poli-Art and SHG –which are currently located on separate sites in La Chaux-de-Fonds. The second will be dedicated to the development and production of new technologies. A third building will serve the purpose of future extensions.


Mr and Mrs Philippe Stern, Mr Perret, Mr Peny and Mr Huynh-Khuong


Three companies coming together

Calame & Cie SA, in the hands of Patek Philippe since April 2001, is a renowned manufacturer of upmarket watch cases.
Managed as an independent entity, this company works in close collaboration with the Case and Bracelets Manufacturing Department of the Geneva watch manufacturer.

Poli-Art SA, fully acquired by Patek Philippe in January 2006, is active in excellence polishing. All the work is performed by hand with no mechanical support, a particularly difficult polishing technique that requires many years of expertise and know-how.

The company SHG (Sertissage Haut de Gamme or Highest Quality Setting), in which Patek Philippe holds a major share, is specialized in top quality hand setting of watches, bracelets and jewellery. The gem setters adjust precious stones using fine jewellery techniques so that a
Patek Philippe piece of jewellery is as beautiful viewed from below as it is from above. More than 700,000 stones are set each year at Patek Philippe.

The three companies currently employ around 50 staff each. A corporate restaurant will be set up on the new site for the benefit of the total 150 employees.

The three buildings to be erected on the piece of land will benefit from the Minergie® label, a high quality Swiss label which guarantees the comfort and energetic performance of buildings. Part of the rain water will be collected and used and all technical equipment will achieve optimal performance.

Source: Patek Philippe SA
www.patek.com