Geneva: “History of Time” and Patek Philippe’s grand fireworks display

The date and time are set. Saturday, August 9 at 10 pm. An enthusiastic Thierry Stern, CEO of Patek Philippe since 2009, has decided to fund the renowned grand fireworks of the “Fêtes de Genève” (Geneva Festival) as a gift to tourists and to its fellow citizens. "There will be noise, color and a few stiff necks”, he joyfully warned. The brand, one of the most famous independent watchmaking brands in the world, is linked to the history of Geneva. Family owned and managed for over four generations, the brand stands out for its high-tech know-how, its ancestral traditional skills, for its excellent performance at auction bids and for supporting local talents.

Thierry Stern

An icon of Swiss craftsmanship and Genevan excellence, the brand’s headquarters overlook the harbor from its location in Rue du Rhône, only a few yards from the town’s English Garden and the famous Flower Clock. The town gets some 40,000 to 50,000 tourists per year.

Salons Patek Philippe Geneva

A dream come true
In 2014, Patek Philippe celebrates its 175years of existence. Antoine Norbert de Patek, a Polish refugee who ended up in Calvin’s city as many other talented people before him, felt grateful to the town and founded his brand there. Driven by the same gratitude, the current CEO has decided to fund one of the key annual events in Geneva as a gift to his fellow citizens. For the record, 12,000 fireworks were set off in front of over 500,000 people last year. Thierry Stern went from his role of average citizen last year to that of organizer of the event this year. “We are not doing this because our building overlooks the lake. I see these fireworks as a family ritual. We come here to see it with family and close friends and have a really good time. I also enjoy sharing this moment with my kids. I was born and bred here; these fireworks are incredible, impressive and provide a chance for us all to be together”, stated Stern.

Patek Philippe main entrance with André Bucher's sculpture

This initiative does not only come from passion, it is also a means for Stern to highlight the brand’s importance in the local community. Though Patek Philippe is nowadays one of the world’s leading watchmaking brands, the brand owes its success to the town of Geneva and to its brilliant watchmakers and high-end craftsmen who contributed in building the legend around it. They were all devoted local people just like him: workers, executives or craftsmen. “This fireworks display is first and foremost dedicated to the citizens of Geneva”. Indeed, he sees Genevans as people who, just like his family, have a strong bond with the lake: its banks, its changing colors and the amazing way in which it reflects the town’s luminous festivities

Geneva Fireworks ©GenèveTourisme Olivier Miche

Precision, timing and shared values

Stern has the outmost respect for the work of professional pyrotechnics. Indeed, when asked how a high-end watchmaking brand blends in the popular context and what influence can watchmakers possibly have on firework displays, he gave some examples of values the two sectors share: Other than the timing, the precision and the complexity that setting fireworks off requires, there is the quest for perfect sound. Minute Repeaters are very complex to make and finding the right chiming decibel requires exceptional skills.

Patek Philippe Ref. 6002

Minute Repeaters are timepieces that give sound to the passing of time. Indeed, speaking of sound effects and musical choices, it wouldn’t be impossible to hear some sort of watch sound in the firework display.

Patek Philippe Ref. 6002

Obviously, there are certain rules and constraints such as security, shape, colors and diameters for firework displays that cannot be changed. Nevertheless, Stern ordered a few special fireworks. He wanted to see those “big fireballs that fall all over you; they are basic but huge and they look like big flowers that explode in the sky”. Furthermore, this year there will be fifty 300-mm fireworks and fifty 300-mm mortars. Just for the record, the largest fireworks in 2013 measured 250 mm. It is an exceptional feat for Geneva. “I requested the biggest sizes possible with innovating colors. I wanted the fireworks to be more impressive and to produce more light. Furthermore, I asked for 3D fireworks to be placed in a circle to allow everyone to see them well”, he confided with a childlike excitement.

Geneva Fireworks ©GenèveTourisme Michel Frossard

Lights and an array of skills

“Just like it happens in watchmaking, firework producers offer different quality. I discovered that, contrary to common belief, the best producers are in Sicily and not in China. Quality is expensive but while we are at it, we might as well go all the way”. However, they will have to be careful not to set off all the alarms in town.

Geneva Fireworks ©GenèveTourisme Michel Frossard

Thierry Stern was fascinated by the skills required for the preparation of an event of this scope and the reliability of the technical data involved. He thus wanted to prepare properly: from the first meeting with Pierre-Alain Beretta, CEO of “Pyrostars Genève” and Chairman of the “Commission des Feux d’artifice des Fêtes de Genève” to the recording and programming studio. They recorded “clock” sounds to alternate with the different musical styles. In mid-June, he attended the creation of a story board: shootings, screens and firework products and colour insertions. On the 6^th and 7^th August, on the eve of the D-Day, Patek Philippe will organize a memorable, unforgettable filming session that will serve to record the impermanence of the moment, even if it only lasts around one hour.

Geneva Fireworks ©GenèveTourisme

See you on Saturday, 9 August 2014, at 10 p.m. in Geneva