While vacationing this summer in Davos, Switzerland, the Toldos Avraham Yitzchak Rebbe Hagaon Harav Shmuel Yaakov Kohn, shlit”a, was presented with an ornamental clock fashioned by prestigious Swiss watch and clock manufacturer Patek Phillipe. The clock was the gift of Rabbi Chaim Erlanger, a close follower of the Rebbe, who purchased the exclusive item in Boodles in Manchester.
Founded in Geneva in the mid-19th century, Patek Philippe is one of the oldest watch manufacturers in the world with an uninterrupted watchmaking history and widely regarded as one of the most prestigious. Notable Patek Philippe patrons and timepieces owners have included Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth II, Pope Pius IX, Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, John F. Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Pablo Picasso, Pyotr Tchaikovsky and Leo Tolstoy. As of June 2019, among the world’s top ten most expensive watches ever sold at auctions, seven were makes of Patek Philippe.
The limited-edition dome table clock presented by Erlanger to the Rebbe is one of only four pieces in the world. It was designed and crafted by a team of Patek Phillipe’s most accomplished artists in collaboration with Baccarat, with its exclusive design inspired by the stately chandeliers crafted by this venerable French firm. Baccarat craftsmen spent up to 70 hours of concentrated work hand-engraving the geometric relief patterns adorning the clock—beveled diamond-cut for the body and delicate rosettes for the dome and dial center. The hour circle is embellished with black-enameled Roman numerals.
Rabbi Erlanger shares that when he first laid eyes on this clock, he was awed by its exquisite beauty and regal appearance. Recalling the Rebbe’s frequent exhortations regarding the value of time and exploiting every moment of life to its fullest, he was immediately inspired to purchase it and bestow it as his personal gift to the Rebbe. “Seeing this work of art on the shelf was a concrete reminder of how every minute of time is truly priceless. This prestigious clock manifests this concept in a very real and tangible way,” says Erlanger.
