As an independent Swiss family-owned watch company with operations extending to the UK, Patek Philippe recognizes the importance of the Modern Slavery Act and is committed to upholding its principles.
This statement has been published in accordance with Section 54(1) of the Modern Slavery Act 2015. It sets out the steps taken by Patek Philippe to understand and prevent modern slavery and forced labour risks from taking place in its business operations and supply chains.
Patek Philippe
For over 185 years without interruption, Patek Philippe has been perpetuating the tradition of fine watchmaking. As the last family-owned independent watch manufacturer in Geneva, we design, produce, and assemble what experts agree to be the finest timepieces in the world – following the vision of our founders Antoine Norbert de Patek (1839) and Jean Adrien Philippe (1845).
Headquartered in Geneva, Patek Philippe’s manufacturing activities are taking place in Switzerland through its manufactures and partner companies. The company also operates in several countries across the world, through its Salons in Geneva, Paris, and London, and through its network of distributors and service centers.
Commitment to sustainability and ethics
At Patek Philippe, we are strongly committed to sustainability. We believe that it is our duty as citizens, employer and employees to maintain an environmentally and socially sustainable mindset in all our business practices. This commitment translates into a responsibility towards our employees, partners, and customers.
In all its business activities in Switzerland and worldwide, Patek Philippe takes to heart the respect of local, national, and international laws and regulations that may be applicable, and conducts all its business operations with integrity, transparency, and fairness. This philosophy makes it possible to set high standards of business conduct and ensures that integrity and respect are at the center of everyone's concerns. Patek Philippe is totally opposed to all types of corruption, such as money laundering, facilitation payments and external gifts.
We believe that true quality cannot exist where there is exploitation and injustice. That is why we are committed to taking all the steps to ensure that every aspect of our business, from the sourcing of raw materials to the delivery of our watches, aligns with the principles of respect for human rights and labour standards.
Our business and our employees
Our corporate culture evolves around 10 core values and fundamental attitudes that underpin our commitment to creating a strong and supportive work environment. With our skilled artisans crafting exceptional timepieces, and our dedicated employees and partners driving our mission forward, the respect of all individuals, has always been at the heart of our company.
Over the years, we have been working to foster a supportive workplace culture that prioritizes the respect, the well-being, the safety, and the professional development of our employees. This commitment translates into specific policies, procedures, and concrete actions to prevent forced or trafficked labour risks within our own operations.
- Employee information and training
We have established comprehensive employee guides to inform our employees on our company culture, policies, and procedures. Discrimination and harassment are strictly prohibited within our organization. We have mechanisms in place to address any grievances and our employees are regularly trained on these aspects. -
Grievances procedures and hotline services
We encourage the reporting of any wrongdoing through internal and/or external mechanisms. In addition to well established grievances procedures, we also have an international confidential hotline available to all our employees worldwide, to provide third party assistance regarding personal and/or professional issues. It is supported by a network of trusted internal advisors and impartial investigation procedures. Both the internal grievance procedures and the hotline services ensure that all employees feel empowered, without fear of retribution, to report any concerns related to unethical work practices.
- Local staff committees
Any employee concerns may also be raised directly to local staff committees representing and defending the interests of employees both individually and collectively. The staff committees are working in close collaboration with human resources. -
Recruitment policies
Our internal recruitment policies avoid the risk of employing forced or trafficked labour. We do not employ minors except as part of their apprenticeship and we adhere to agreements respecting students’ rights.
Our supply chain due diligence & risk assessment
Although our operations and workforce primarily reside within Switzerland, where modern slavery risks are inherently low, we recognize the global nature of our activities and supply chains, and the potential risks associated with it.
We are therefore committed to continuously improving our efforts to prevent, identify and manage any potential social and environmental impacts along our supply chains.
Suppliers
Our commitment to sustainability means we need to be selective about whom we choose to work with. Relations with our long term and trusted partners are based on criteria of cooperation, fairness, and mutual respect. Patek Philippe does not wish to collaborate with partners who do not share these values and ethical commitments. To support the comprehension of and adherence to our business philosophy, we maintain regular discussions and conduct on-site visits with our partners and suppliers depending on their profile.
Supply chains
For our most critical supply chains, we have either set management systems to trace and prevent the sourcing from conflict affected or high risks areas or we are currently working to implement a due diligence system in line with the OECD Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Supply Chains of Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas.
We have initiated a thorough supply chain mapping to identify and mitigate salient and potential social and environmental risks. We remain steadfast in our dedication to continuously improve our due diligence and practices to uphold human rights within our supply chains.
Approval
This statement reflects our actions towards fulfilling our responsibilities under the Modern Slavery Act. We remain committed to furthering our efforts and improving practices in this critical area and we will provide updates in future statements.
This statement was approved by the Patek Philippe board of directors on 27/08/2024.