Reference 1436 is one of the most elegant, rare, important and collectible vintage Patek Philippe models. Shortly after the launch of the chronograph reference 130 in 1934, the company notice that a split-second version had a potential market. Indeed, the “rattrappante” mechanism was particularly useful for technical purposes, such as timing horse, automobile races, as well measuring scientific experiments.
Thus, in 1938 the firm introduced ref. 1436, to the day considered one of the most refined models ever produced by the firm. Not only it represents an ineffable merging of design and technical proficiency, it is furthermore one of the scarcest models made by the firm. Given the difficulty of assembling a split-second movement, research suggests that the total output for the model is approximately 140 examples, produced throughout the reference's approximate 33 years of manufacture. That means an average of 4 watches per year. This is an exceedingly limited
number, even by the production standards of the mid-to-late 20th century.
If any 1436 is a very rare bird - and a jewel in any collection - pink gold examples, as it often happens with Patek Philippe vintage models, are in a league of their own. Research confirms that so far only 8 examples of this exotic variation are known.
To own one of the 8 pink gold 1436 is considered by some one of the crowning achievements of their collecting career, however, as incredible as it sounds, the present piece is a tall step above a “standard” pink gold 1436. It in fact bears an incredibly unusual champagne dial. Incredibly attractive but nearly inexplicable on a pink gold watch (in fact this is one of the extremely scarce vintage PP watches, if not the only one, to bear such a combination), the first impression of the Phillips office was that this was a very attractive but later dial. This however turned out to be the complete opposite of the truth, as the Extract from the Archives incredibly confirms that the watch was born exactly in this configuration.
Such pink case/champagne dial configuration - not virtually unique in the entire panorama of vintage Patek pieces, but furthermore fully confirmed buy the company - makes the present piece one of the most collectible, unusual and fascinating chronograph pieces ever produced by the firm.
Last appeared - of course in this very configuration - on the public market in 1989, the watch has resided in the same collection for the past 33 years. In fact, it is also accompanied by the 1989 Habsburg, Feldman (the auction house who sold it) certificate bearing a period picture of the watch, and an “estimate” of 380’000 CHF, most likely a rounding up of the sale result of 358’250 CHF - a truly outstanding price for the time, highlighting how this unique example of 1436 was recognised to be an “ultimate” piece already back then.
