Patek Philippe has a long and illustrious history of watchmaking from their founding in 1851. They pioneered such high-end features as the perpetual calendar, the split-seconds hand, the chronograph, and the minute repeater. Catching the eye of Queen Victoria and her consort, Prince Albert, Patek Philippe watches have provided timepieces to many notable figures such as Pope Pius IX, Christian IX and Louise, and Victor-Emanuel III. The Calatrava is their signature line, introduced in 1932. The price of their simplest model retails for $18. 000.