821Σ
Patek Philippe
Ref. 1415
World Time
A very fine and rare yellow gold world time wristwatch
- Estimate
- HK$400,000 - 620,000€46,100 - 71,400$50,000 - 80,000
HK$675,000
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Patek Philippe
- Year
- 1946
- Reference No
- 1415
- Movement No
- 929'573
- Case No
- 647'115
- Model Name
- World Time
- Material
- 18K yellow gold
- Calibre
- Manual, cal. 12'''120, 18 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- Alligator
- Clasp/Buckle
- 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe buckle
- Dimensions
- 31 mm diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial and movement signed
- Accessories
- Accompanied by Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch in 1946 with raised gold hour-markers and its subsequent sale on November 22, 1949
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
Patek Philippe started serially producing world time watches in the late 1930s with the reference 1415 in extremely small numbers. Since its first appearance, the Patek Philippe world time model, also referred as Heure Universelle, has been very popular amongst watch connoisseurs all over the world.
The hour and minute hands of the present watch display local time in the middle of the dial. Surrounding it are two fascinating rings, the outer ring with the names of metropolises that stand for the time zones of the world, the inner ring with a 24-hour scale featuring a brighter part for the daytime hours and a darker one for the nocturnal hours.
Beautiful and extremely useful, the world time mechanism was a significant breakthrough in the history of horology. Indeed, Patek Philippe advertising from the period marketed world time watches to “the man whose interests go beyond the horizon”. The present example actually features a very rare bezel variation, with the Chinese capital spelt with a very unusual “Peiping” rather than the common “Peking”. This is a rare chance for any watch collectors to possess a piece that represents horological finesse at its best.
The hour and minute hands of the present watch display local time in the middle of the dial. Surrounding it are two fascinating rings, the outer ring with the names of metropolises that stand for the time zones of the world, the inner ring with a 24-hour scale featuring a brighter part for the daytime hours and a darker one for the nocturnal hours.
Beautiful and extremely useful, the world time mechanism was a significant breakthrough in the history of horology. Indeed, Patek Philippe advertising from the period marketed world time watches to “the man whose interests go beyond the horizon”. The present example actually features a very rare bezel variation, with the Chinese capital spelt with a very unusual “Peiping” rather than the common “Peking”. This is a rare chance for any watch collectors to possess a piece that represents horological finesse at its best.
Literature
Patek Philippe
Swiss | 1839Since its founding in 1839, this famous Geneva-based firm has been surprising its clientele with superbly crafted timepieces fitted with watchmaking's most prestigious complications. Traditional and conservative designs are found across Patek Philippe's watches made throughout their history — the utmost in understated elegance.Well-known for the Graves Supercomplication — a highly complicated pocket watch that was the world’s most complicated watch for 50 years — this family-owned brand has earned a reputation of excellence around the world. Patek's complicated vintage watches hold the highest number of world records for results achieved at auction compared with any other brand. For collectors, key models include the reference 1518, the world's first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph, and its successor, the reference 2499. Other famous models include perpetual calendars such as the ref. 1526, ref. 3448 and 3450, chronographs such as the reference 130, 530 and 1463, as well as reference 1436 and 1563 split seconds chronographs. Patek is also well-known for their classically styled, time-only "Calatrava" dress watches, and the "Nautilus," an iconic luxury sports watch first introduced in 1976 as the reference 3700 that is still in production today.
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