One can say that reference 1463 was Patek Philippe’s first sports chronograph designed for a modern society with an increasing interest in outdoor activities. Designed with a second inner case which shielded the movement against magnetism, it was a robust watch suitable for industrial use in scientific and medical environments. Each featured a ten-sided screw-down caseback and playful rounded chronograph pushers, known as "Tasti Tondi" in Italian.

One of the last examples of the reference 1463 ever produced by Patek Philippe, therefore one of the last chronograph-only watches produced by the manufacture until the introduction of the reference 5070 in 1998, the present lot features a rare dial configuration with tachymeter scale only and no railway minute divisions. Featuring the raised, hard enamel print that aficionados of vintage Patek Philippe watches adore, the dial is stunning both for its immaculate condition and clean design. The movement is stamped "HOX", indicating it was delivered to the American market. Another example of a late 1463, only two case numbers and movement numbers away from this particular example, was sold by Phillips in 2016 and bears the retailer signature "Cartier" as it was sold at the Cartier boutique on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. That watch, bearing case number 2’647’885, bears the same purchase date as the present lot – June 12th, 1968. The last examples of the 1463, it seems, found themselves in the hands of American collectors. The present lot is preserved in superb overall condition, having developed a pleasing patina on its case – an indication the watch was hardly worn or handled, likely spending many years stored untouched.