Thierry Stern, Patek Philippe president and owner and leading luminary of the watch world, jetted into Sydney for a flying visit just before Christmas and made time for a sit-down with The Australian Financial Review Magazine.

We meet for late morning coffee at the Sydney boutique of J. Farren-Price, long-time local representative of the storied brand. Stern reiterates his preference for working with retail partners rather than operating company boutiques, saying: “I think it’s one of the keys for Patek. We like to work with people who are down to earth and understand the values that we have.”