Last month, the Henri Stern Watch Agency (HSWA), which is the historical US subsidiary of Patek Philippe, inaugurated the Patek Philippe Horology Programme of New York, the second watchmaker training program of its kind outside of the venerable watchmaker’s Geneva workshops.

The new school will operate out of the same state of the art facility, located at 45 Rockefeller Plaza, where 10,000 Patek Philippe watches are currently serviced each year by 19 watchmakers.

After 22 years at 1 Rockefeller Plaza, HSWA moved to 45 Rockefeller Plaza in February 2013 to state of the art upgraded facilities with cutting edge technology to provide the same quality servicing as in Geneva. PROFESSIONAL WATCHES has attended numerous training sessions there, including the year it opened, and there is really nothing like it in New York City. The facility is immaculate and features a dedicated clean air filtered area inside a section of Patek Philippe’s corporate offices.

The skills required to service, repair and restore Patek Philippe watches are much the same as those required to make one and with the opening of this program, Patek Philippe expects to bolster their US watchmaking staff in the longterm as watch sales continue to increase the demand for qualified professionals to service them.

This exclusive school received over 300 applications this year, and only 6 students were accepted. “We are thrilled that the program will expose the world of watchmaking to six special candidates”, said Larry Pettinelli, President of HSWA.

Laurent Junod, who was appointed Director of Technical Training at the Patek Philippe Horology Programme New York, added: “Working for Patek Philippe over these last 27 years, I have gained experience as well as a deep appreciation for the fine timepieces we create. I look forward to passing on my knowledge of and passion for Patek Philippe watches to the next generation of watchmakers.”

The next program will begin in September 2017. And best of all, if you do apply and are one of the lucky few to get accepted to this program – it is totally free.