darma
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The origins of the Calatrava cross
Aug 17, 2009,22:59 PM
hello there as promised here is the story of the calatrava cross that appears on all your Patek watches.
Patek one of the founders of the company had chosen this insignia to protect each watch and bring good fortune to the wearer. Patek as it turned out was a superstitious man. His favourite saying was " I'd rather be lucky than talented any day".Im sure it seemed somewhat odd when he told Phillipe, his partner,that this Calatrava cross would not only protect them,but bring them the success they desired, to create the greatest watch company in the world.
According to company's legends, Patek stumbled upon the secret of the Calatrava cross that,up until that time,had only been known to the popes. He discovered that in 1158, pope gregory viii, in a desperate attempt to fight off the moors and save christianity,had commissioned shepherds from the fields to fight as knights. They were known as the Knights of the Calatrava. The pope took the name of an old moorish castle that had been liberated( the Calatrava castle) and placed it on four fleur-de-lis like anchors that united in the center and told the shepherds that the cross would bring them victory in battle against the superior forces of the moors.
Outnumbered more than ten to one , the knights of the Calatrava were still victorious. The Calatrava cross had truly protected them. After Patek passed away , it was rumoured that he left behind a journal. In the journal was the explanation , secret if you will, of the power of the Calatrava cross and how its unleashed. Supposedly ,its origin dates back to 2560BC, and over the millennia its secret came into the hands of the pope and then passed on from one pope to the next. Patek apparently believed that if he harnessed the power of the four triads (Calatrava cross) he would find success in life, and immortality for his soul.
I've quoted this straight from an article i have and hope its of interest. I reckon there's a story to be had with maybe Vacheron as its logo is not unsimiliar to the Calatrava .
All the best
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The origins of the Calatrava cross
By: darma : August 17th, 2009-22:59
hello there as promised here is the story of the calatrava cross that appears on all your Patek watches. Patek one of the founders of the company had chosen this insignia to protect each watch and bring good fortune to the wearer. Patek as it turned out w...
I cannot find any
By: darma : August 18th, 2009-13:01
hello the article was written by fred cuellar but does not offer any information about Pateks personal superstitions , however it does say that the initial source on the calatrava cross came from the patek website. I have checked it and if you go to the g...
Hmmm....are you referring to this guy as your source?
By: DRMW : August 18th, 2009-13:20
Hello darma, Are you referring to this Fred Cuellar as your source? from the Houston Business Journal The high-profile owner of Diamond Cutters International has been convicted of first degree felony theft for taking a group of investors for more than $1 ...
what uncanny timing
By: darma : August 18th, 2009-16:08
clearly the calatrava didn't bring him any luck at all. Just as a note there is a similiar version on the patek website without the creative licence perhaps shown in this gentlemens article. Thanks for the article though.
Yes but
By: Dje : August 20th, 2009-14:33
Hi, The story of the Calatrava cross in the glossary of the Patek Philippe website is not the same as the one you report. Cheers Dje
Fairy Tale
By: Park : August 18th, 2009-10:19
Darma, Elsewhere, you cited a ridiculously unreliable source for some of this information. Even if the magical components of the story were to be granted literary or poetic license, there is a risk in posting these words that someone could actually believ...
I guess we'll never know for sure
By: darma : August 18th, 2009-12:45
however , when i was in geneva with the staff from patek in june they admitted there were aware of this story and that there may be some truth to this but know really knows for sure and the evidence is anecdotal. In fact whilst i was there the PR director...
interesting story
By: mjnoumoff : August 19th, 2009-05:02
interesting story. it may/may not be true but ultimately it is up to Patek Philippe to confirm/deny the history of using this symbol.
Pope Gregory VIII...
By: BDLJ : August 20th, 2009-21:08
Pope Gregory VIII was only Pope for a few months. In 1187. The Knights of Calatrava were ex-monks, not shepards. So many holes in this tale.