Patek Philippe - The Geneva Watch Auction: X Geneva Saturday, November 9, 2019 | Phillips

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  • Manufacturer: Patek Philippe
    Year: 1970
    Reference No: 715/23
    Movement No: 893'356
    Case No: 432'837
    Model Name: "La Liseuse sur la Rive Boisée"
    Material: 18K yellow gold and enamel
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 17-140, 18 jewels
    Dimensions: 47mm Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial and movement signed
    Accessories: Accompanied by Patek Philippe Certificate of Origin, service tag and service seal plastic pouch. Furthermore accompanied by Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch in 1970 displaying "La Liseuse sur la Rive Boisée" and its subsequent sale on March 2, 1982.

  • Catalogue Essay

    Fresh to the auction market and consigned by the original owner, this exquisite openface watch displays a beautiful enamel painting by L. Pellarin-Leroy after "La Liseuse sur la Rive Boisée" by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot. Originally painted circa 1865-1870, it is now at Musée des Beaux Arts de Reims. This particular openface watch was created in 1968. Restrained and elegant, the enamel work most notably displays a young girl reading among a lush surrounding of trees on an autumn day. Patek Philippe is known for creating the best and most intricate enamel works of art, and the present timepiece is no exception. While the tree is mainly rendered in muted greens, flecks of brown are also scattered throughout, showing the changing of the seasons. The leaves are painted with great attention, and no detail is spared. The landscape itself is stunning, and the water displays graduating tones of blue, red and white.

    Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1796-1875) was a French painter who specialized in landscapes. Born in Paris, he became a pivotal and important artist in anticipating the Impressionist movement. Heavily influenced by realism, his works differed from history painting, which was the predominant movement at the time.

    L. Pellarin-Leroy was one of Patek Philippe's top enamelers in the late 1960s and 1970s. Along with masters such as M. Bishoff and Suzanne Rohr, L. Pellarin-Leroy was particularly adept and masterful at recreating scenes on an openface watch. It is particularly difficult to reproduce an artistic masterpiece within the confines of a 47 millimeter case due to the fragility of enamel. Indeed, only one or two examples were produced each year. Every horological masterpiece takes months of work to produce, and each work is a unique creation made specifically for one of Patek Philippe's most distinguished customers.

    Having been serviced at Patek Philippe, the present watch is preserved in excellent condition with no cracking to the enamel.

  • Artist Biography

    Patek Philippe

    Swiss • 1839

    Since 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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183

Ref. 715/23
An extremely attractive and unique yellow gold openface watch with enamel miniature "La Liseuse sur la Rive Boisée" after Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot by L. Pellarin-Leroy

1970
47mm Diameter
Case, dial and movement signed

Estimate
CHF80,000 - 160,000 
€75,100-150,000
$83,200-166,000

Sold for CHF118,750

Contact Specialist
Alexandre Ghotbi
Head of Watches, Continental Europe and the Middle East
+ 41 79 637 1724
aghotbi@phillips.com

The Geneva Watch Auction: X

Geneva Auction 9-10 November 2019