182
Patek Philippe
Ref. 982/104J
Rare Handcraft Tuareg and Dromedary
A unique and delightful yellow gold openface pocket watch with flinqué enamel dial and back decorated by engraved, cloisonné enamel and miniature enamel scene, chased diamond-set and ruby-set bow and chain
Full-Cataloguing
- Time only
- Rare Handcraft unique piece
- Featuring 5 different Rare Handcraft techniques: flinqué, cloisonné and miniature enamel, gem-setting and engraving.
- Superbly well preserved and full set
Patek Philippe has long been regarded as a custodian of traditional watchmaking. This philosophy is perhaps best exemplified by the brand’s “Rare Handcrafts” collection. Originally conceived as a means to preserve historic decorative techniques—enameling, engraving, guillochage and gem-setting, later joined by marquetry—it was, at its inception, a purely philosophical endeavor. Indeed, it may be one of the very few, if not the only, company divisions created in response to a declining market rather than a growing one.
Even in the absence of strong demand for such creations, Patek Philippe chose to safeguard, perpetuate, and protect these artisanal skills through the Rare Handcrafts collection—at the risk of not selling every piece produced. As collectors well know, the sophistication and appreciation of the market have grown exponentially over time, and today Rare Handcrafts timepieces, by virtue of their beauty, difficulty of execution, and intrinsic rarity, are among the most sought-after creations by high-end Patek Philippe collectors. Each acquisition is worn almost as a badge of honor within the collecting community.
Pocket watches not only represent the ideal canvas, by virtue of their size, for the brand on which to showcase their mastery of the rare handcrafts but they also have the added bonus of usually being pièce unique creations - in contrast to Rare Handcraft wristwatches which are usually made in series, albeit extremely limited. In this instance, the techniques found on the caseback consist in engraving, cloisonné enamel, and miniature enamel - this latter universally recognized as the most demanding enameling technique. The way the sky gradually changes from the deep blue of the night on the left, to the rosy tones of the aurora is exceptionally well-executed. Cloisonné enamel is employed for the mounted figure, whose billowing robe is recreated by the gold wire cloisons - truly a masterful application of this technique. Engraving permeates the entire composition in different aspects: from, obviously, the dromedary figure to more subtle details such as the fringing of the saddle and the sands of the desert, realized with different engraving style which render the idea of the increasing distance. This horological tour-de-force is however not yet over, as the dial is decorated with light blue flinqué enamel creating an arabesque. As a cherry on top of this superb cake, the bow and chain feature an additional Rare Handcraft technique: gem-setting. A large teardrop-cut sapphire sits square in the center of the bow, flanked by chased decoration and two diamond pavé sectors. The chain as well is used to showcase the proficiency of the brand, featuring lapis lazuli inserts as well as diamond-set ones.
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.