844
Patek Philippe
Ref. 1551M-001
Pendulette Dôme “Lion & Guépard chassant l'antilope”
A unique, exquisite and exhilarating white gold dome clock with “Lion & Guépard chassant l'antilope” enamel scene and Certificate of Origin, made to celebrate the opening of the Patek Philippe boutique by Pisa 1940
Full-Cataloguing
- Unique piece made for the opening of the Patek Philippe boutique at Pisa 1940 in 2008
- Inspired by Antonio Ligabue’s work
- Auction debut
The Patek Philippe Rare Handcrafts creation as heir to the grand Geneva tradition excites collectors every year during their launches. Dedicated to preserving the exquisite quality of these disciplines has distinguished the finest Geneva watches for more than 400 years. To this day, in order to keep the tradition alive, a small team of Patek Philippe artisans continues to practise these craft which allow no margin for error. They appeared in the late 1950s as timepieces that could carry more enamel than any wristwatch, and they have remained a canvas for rare handcrafts ever since. Most are series pieces. A few were made for moments that matter to the people who sell and collect the brand. The opening of the Milan boutique in 2008 was such a moment.
Made as a unique piece for the opening of the Patek Philippe boutique at Pisa 1940 in Milan, the reference 1551 in white gold is not merely a timekeeper in cloisonné enamel. It is a conversation between Geneva and Reggio Emilia: between a manufacture that has spent four centuries refining the decorative arts of the case, and the Pisa family that never forgot the painter who once lived among them in Gualtieri.
This exquisite dome clock takes inspiration from several celebrated paintings by the Italian artist Antonio Ligabue (1899-1965). Taking muse from his work “Leopardo con antilope”, the dome depicts a leopard and three prancing antelopes. The three curved panels continues an exhilarating hunt reinterpreting two more paintings: “Leopardo con Cielo al tramonto”, and “Leone che assale due antilopi”. The dial of the clock features a symmetrical design with Breguet hands to mark the time.
What the painter achieved with oil and board, the master enameller signed M.S achieves with unforgiving gold ribbons and powdered colour. Cloisonné is an unforgiving discipline. Drawn with gold ribbons then filled with enamel and fired. The result is not a copy of Ligabue but one that transport you to African wilderness: the spotted hide of the leopard, the twilight sky, the lion’s lunge and innocent antelopes.
Exquisite and vibrant, it paints an incredibly attractive work of art. Fresh to the market and purchased from the Milan boutique, it is further delivered with its Certificate of Origin and portfolio for this special creation.
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.