Hank Edelman: Marketing Patek Philippe in America (Part 2)
In Part 2 of Collectability’s podcast with Hank Edelman, former President of Patek Philippe USA, we continue an extraordinary journey through six decades of watchmaking history, advertising, and brand storytelling.If you missed Part 1, be sure to watch or listen first (see link below) — it’s a treasure trove of Patek Philippe history and fascinating personal stories that set the stage for this conversation.No one is better placed to share how marketing Patek Philippe in America has evolved since the 1960s than Hank Edelman. In the Mad Men era, Hank Edelman had a front-row seat with the creative geniuses of the time. He recalls how brilliant advertising lines were crafted by legendary ad man Seth Tobias, who worked closely with Patek Philippe USA President Einar Buhl.During the 1980s, Patek Philippe launched its first international campaign, starring the Calatrava ref. 3919. Hank Edelman explains how this model was created and why it became a symbol of elegance and timeless design.He also shares the origins of one of the most recognisable and longest-running watch campaigns ever:"You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely take care of it for the next generation." Discover how the Generations campaign came to life and how it became an essential part of the brand’s identity.Today, Patek Philippe exhibitions are famous around the world, but many collectors may not realise these events started in the United States in the late 1960s. Hank Edelman recounts how these exhibitions introduced American audiences to exceptional timepieces and demonstrated what set Patek Philippe apart from every other watch brand. Even Warren Buffett became part of this rich history. In 1995, he held a white gold Calibre ’89, captured in a photograph with the caption: "The six billion dollar man holds the six million dollar watch," which was featured in newspapers across the country.In this episode, Hank Edelman and John Reardon look back at some of the most memorable ads and moments from Hank Edelman’s remarkable 60-plus-year career with Patek Philippe.Sit back and enjoy this rare glimpse behind the scenes of how Patek Philippe became one of the most respected names in fine watchmaking.Listen to Part 1:https://open.spotify.com/episode/4M3EWmgOAQY55PxFs3DTgq?si=yDCducfoSrqlbmkIPt-VzwShop for your favorite watches at the Collectability Shop: https://collectability.com/shop/Learn more about Collectability on our website: https://collectability.com Follow us on Instagram for regular updates: https://www.instagram.com/collectabilityllc/Listen, like and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://linktr.ee/Collectability
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Hank Edelman discusses his 60+ years career at Patek Philippe
Collectability is deeply honored to welcome one of the living legends of Patek Philippe, Hank Edelman. This is a two-part conversation with John Reardon. In Part 1, John and Hank discuss the commercial history of Patek Philippe in America covering many aspects of the business since the early 1960s through to today. If you think you understand Patek Philippe, you are about to learn more than you ever imagined listening to this podcast.Hank Edelman is uniquely placed to speak about Patek Philippe in America having worked for the US distributer the Henri Stern Watch Agency, HSWA since he was a teenage messenger picking up repairs all over New York City. When he officially started his career in January 1961, little did he know that he would one day become president of Patek Philippe USA and lead it through exponential growth. His 60+ years career has witnessed many changes in the company, and he has worked with some of the most influential people in the watch industry including three generations of the Stern family: Henri Stern, Philippe Stern and current President, Thierry Stern.Hank Edelman is the son of a Swiss watchmaker and was born in Geneva in 1941. In the late 1940s, his family emigrated from Switzerland and his father worked at HSWA as one of the highly skilled watchmakers in the service and repair workshop. As a young boy, he would eagerly visit his father’s office to watch various parades pass by on Fifth Avenue. It was from this early age that he got to know the then president of Patek Philippe, Henri Stern who watched him grow into an intelligent and capable young man. After completing his college degree, Henri Stern was happy to offer him a job. But, like everyone else who joined the company, he had to start at the bottom and learn every aspect of the business of making and selling Patek Philippe watches.Today Hank is Chairman of HSWA and lives in New Jersey with his wife of 58 years and is a devoted father of three and grandfather of four. His years of coaching and refereeing soccer have changed places with the less rigorous sport of golf, but he remains a dedicated soccer fan and passionate supporter of the US national team.Sit back and enjoy what promises to be an extremely informative journey through a fascinating time in Patek Philippe’s history.Shop for your favorite watches at the Collectability Shop: https://collectability.com/shop/Learn more about Collectability on our website: https://collectability.com Follow us on Instagram for regular updates: https://www.instagram.com/collectabilityllc/Listen, like and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://linktr.ee/Collectability
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Dennison + Collectability Watch Collaboration
For the first time, Collectability has produced a limited edition collaboration watch. In this podcast John Reardon and Stephane Cheikh, director of Dennison Watch, discuss the inside story of what inspired this special timepiece and how the shape and dial design reflect both the past and present. Available to purchase online until May 11 please see the Dennison website to learn more: https://dennisonwatch.com/products/collectability
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Fred Savage: Authenticity In the Watch World
Sit back, relax and enjoy this fun conversation between John Reardon and Fred Savage. Best known for his role as Kevin Arnold in the iconic US T.V. series ’The Wonder Years’ (1988-1993), Fred is also an accomplished director and producer. Perhaps not as well known is the fact that Fred has a serious interest in watch collecting and last year he launched Timepiece Grading Specialists (TGS) — a company dedicated to bringing more transparency to the vintage watch collecting world. In this entertaining podcast, Fred discusses his extraordinary career and why he decide to launchd TGS after an experience with an auction house that left him “crestfallen". Also, for the first time on the Collectability Podcast, John presents a selection of Patek Philippe watches, carefully selected to entice Fred into purchasing his very first Patek. To learn which are the five most important questions John likes to ask a potential buyer, and which watch catches Fred's eye, listen here and let us know which watch you would have selected.Shop for your favorite watches at the Collectability Shop: https://collectability.com/shop/Learn more about Collectability on our website: https://collectability.com Follow us on Instagram for regular updates: https://www.instagram.com/collectabilityllc/Listen, like and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://linktr.ee/Collectability
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Tony Traina: Collector's Guide to Patek Philippe Ref. 3970
As prices begin to surge and scholarship deepens, John Reardon and Tony Traina discuss why the Patek Philippe ref. 3970 is becoming so important as a bridge between vintage and modern for collectors. Collectability is honored that Tony Traina is now a contributor to our website and his first long-form article, A Collector’s Guide to the Patek Philippe Ref. 3970 has already made waves in the watch community. In this lively and informative podcast, John and Tony dive deep into the ref. 3970 article, explaining nuances and sharing new information about this intriguing perpetual calendar chronograph.Tony Traina has written some of the most insightful and interesting articles about the watch industry for leading platforms such as Hodinkee, GQ, Sotheby’s, Revolution and A Collected Man. Tony Traina has recently launched his own newsletter, Unpolished which we highly recommend subscribing to as it contains must-read content that the watch world is not yet looking closely at.To read Collectability’s Collector’s Guide to the Patek Philippe Ref. 3790 by Tony Traina please follow this link: https://collectability.com/learn/a-collectors-guide-to-the-patek-philippe-ref-3970-perpetual-calendar-chronograph/.To subscribe to Tony Traina’s newsletter Unpolished please follow this link: https://www.unpolishedwatches.com/Shop for your favorite watches at the Collectability Shop: https://collectability.com/shop/Learn more about Collectability on our website: https://collectability.com Follow us on Instagram for regular updates: https://www.instagram.com/collectabilityllc/Listen, like and subscribe to the podcast on your favorite platform: https://linktr.ee/Collectability
Ireland