Patek Philippe

Švýcarské mechanické hodinky vyrobeny z nejkvalitnějších surovin. Zhotovovány podle těch nejnáročnějších norem.

For over 180 years the strength of one of the last family-owned companies in the watchmaking industry has resided in the combination of technical perfection and seeming simplicity. Patek Philippe’s strictly limited production is destined to connoisseurs who can appreciate hidden values. CAROLLINUM is honoured to be the only authorized Patek Philippe retailer in the Czech Republic.

It was way back in 1847 that Louis-François Cartier named his jewellery brand. Leaving modesty aside, he quite rightly called his Maison Cartier the “Jeweller of Kings and the King of Jewellers”, a title it has kept to this day. At the beginning of the 20th century, Louis Cartier, the founder’s grandson who was in charge of the Paris branch, realised that success could flow in many directions. He accepted a challenge from a friend, Albert Santos-Dumont, a pioneer in flying, who ordered a wrist watch from him. In 1904, he created the first model of a wristwatch, which was launched seven years later under the name Santos. It was followed by other watches - Tonneau, Tortue and Tank all of which are now modern icons.
 

Breitling can’t help but appeal to those who look for elegant, sporty watches brimming with character. Specialising in state-of-the-art chronographs, this watchmaker has a modern manufacture in La Chaux-de-Fonds and a service centre in Grenchen. Historically, it has a large fan base in the Czech Republic which makes it one of the most desired brands on the Czech market. The original look of a Breitling watch often harkens back to the popular Chronomat, Navitimer or Superocean models from the 1940s-50s.

There used to be a small watchmaker’s shop with the “Orologeria Svizzera” sign in the Palazzo Arcivescovile in the Florentine Piazza San Giovanni. Today, the palace houses a large Panerai boutique. The brand with Italian origins and a manufacture in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, interweaves its Italian history and Swiss present. Panerai watches exude unrestrained passion for the seas and oceans and can’t be mistaken for any other watch on the market. They say you’ll either love or hate Panerai. Yet decidedly, more numerous are those who fell in love with this unique brand offering both robust and unmistakably elegant watches.
 

Tudor watches, instantly recognisable by their emblematic shield on the dial, are manufactured under the same roof as the illustrious “royal” Rolex watches. Not only does Tudor share its founder and production know-how with Rolex, but also the luxury brand’s values and its emphasis on uncompromising quality. Tudor watches stand out by their resistance, distinctive design with vintage elements and fit so perfectly in the active lifestyles of people living in modern metropolises. A Tudor watch brings its owner an excellent quality to price ratio and a value that lasts: it’s no wonder Tudor watches are gaining in popularity so fast.
 

The Swiss manufacture from Le Sentier, a village nestled in the heart of the idyllic Jura Mountains in the Vallée de Joux in the Swiss Canton of Vaud, is impossible to overlook in the watchmaking world. Jaeger-LeCoultre is famous for the painstaking precision that goes into its products and the perfection of the components as well as for its uncompromising 1000-hour testing before any timepiece is delivered onto the market. Jaeger-LeCoultre is a manufacture where the boundaries of what’s possible are incessantly pushed further and ground-breaking complications, such as the gyrotourbillon and sphérotourbillon, are developed. Well-balanced collections with a large selection of models are appreciated by all men and women with refined taste.
 

Over the generations, the IWC Schaffhausen brand has come to symbolise the essence of Swiss watchmaking. Its extraordinary popularity in the Czech Republic and elsewhere in the world is absolutely justified. The brand has been the hallmark of craftsmanship, perfection and an uncompromising quest for the utmost in quality – exactly the qualities one would expect from a Swiss watch in the first place. Moreover, the brand’s extensive portfolio has something to offer for everyone, including fans of aviation, diving, horological complications as well as those who feel drawn to elegant classics in the best sense of the word. Underscoring the brand’s privileged position are famous personalities, both women and men – ambassadors and friends of the brand – who wear their IWC Schaffhausen watch with pride and not just on the red carpet.

When Georges Favre-Jacot founded his own watchmaking workshop in 1865. In the village of Le Locle he had a vision of the largest and most successful manufacture in the world. His dream soon came true and by the beginning of the 20th century, he had cornered all the markets. His Zenith movement was also popular with pilots and aviation pioneers. World War I and World War II the armies relied on Zenith’s precision watches which won numerous chronometric awards. The legendary El Primero movement, an automatic with a frequency of 36,000 oscillations per hour, became synonymous with modern watchmaking in 1969 and the brand also produced it for other equally important companies Today, Zenith is modern and youthful, easily recognisable design makes them a fashion icon.

Montblanc has built up a reputation as a manufacturer of luxury writing utensils and stationery. The brand entered the field of high-end wristwatches in 1997 when it presented its daughter company Montblanc Montre S.A., with its headquarters in Le Locle. The company confirmed its status as a watch manufacture when it bought Minerva, a haute horologie manufacture in Villeret, Switzerland, whose tradition goes back to 1858. Montblanc watches are truly fascinating, and not least because of their top quality, handmade production, their original design with the greatest attention paid to the smallest detail and a number of innovations. A Montblanc watch is an excellent choice for all enthusiasts of peerless craftsmanship who want to make a striking impression through their choice of timepiece.

Though still something of a novice on the Czech market, in many other countries of the world Mido watches, with a tradition reaching back more than a century, are a household name. Before the brand, famous for its superb COSC-certified mechanical watches, became part of the Swatch Group, the world’s biggest watchmaking concern, it had a fascinating history. Characterising the brand nowadays are its architecture-inspired designs as well as its striking models following up on historic timepieces. 
 

Nothing is more emblematic of the traditional Swiss TAG Heuer manufacture than its unrelenting endeavour to push the limits of accuracy in both timekeeping and intricate horological mechanisms. Ever since its foundation in 1860, it has kept on surprising the world with its ground-breaking innovations. Its most recent surprise was when it became the very first luxury watch brand to enter into the smartwatch segment. Thanks to its unparalleled precision, TAG Heuer has always enjoyed the favour of racing drivers and other sportspeople. Today, they have been joined by lovers of high-end smartwatches that combine sophisticated luxury and elegance with impeccable technological perfection.

Longines is one of the five most popular watchmaking brands in the world. It owes its popularity to the quality of its movements, to its both modern and vintage-looking dials and cases, as well as to its strong link to an era when aeroplanes were an adrenaline-fueled passion of explorers rather than just a means of transport as they are today. The Swiss brand Longines is also a long-time supporter of Alpine skiing and related skiing disciplines and is loved by men and women on every continent in the world. Longines ambassadors include famous artists, athletes, and actors such as Kate Winslet and Jennifer Lawrence – which might be why Longines is popular with younger generations, too.

The Hamilton Company has its roots far away from Europe: it was founded in the United States, however, the company moved its headquarters and production to Biel, Switzerland at the beginning of the new millennium. Hamilton watches are now Swiss Made and synonymous with excellent quality at an affordable price and have remained known for both their undaunted American spirit combined with the famous Swiss attention to detail. Hamilton watches come in many versions and will attract the eye of all those searching for a watch with an original design. There is also something for afficionados of the movie industry and aviation, and anyone looking for a high-quality timepiece with a fascinating story.

Baume & Mercier, Switzerland’s seventh oldest watchmaking company, celebrated its 190th anniversary. The brand has come a long way over the years and has gone from strength to strength gaining international renown for its superb renditions of cases and movements, all at a reasonable price.
Attracting much attention in recent years is the brand’s Baumatic automatic movement which, if fully wound, keeps on working for an incredible five (!) days, each one with chronometric precision.