The present example, born in 1965, is one of the last to be made and it correctly features a non-railway dial. Interestingly, the dial graphics are fully engraved/enameled. A very costly and labor-intensive process, engrave/enameling consists in etching by hand the graphics on the dial plate, then filling the resulting grooves with enamel powder, and finally baking the dial. The powder melts into hard enamel, making the graphics of the dial virtually impervious to aging. Due to the complexity of the process, it often happens that the outer scales (tachymeter, telemeter, pulsometer…) are printed on a base engraved/enameled dial without the scale, thus allowing a more linear production process. In the present instance, however, the tachymeter scale is enameled as well, highlighting the higher level of finish Patek Philippe reserved to the piece.

Gold 1436 cases were realized by two different case makers (with a third - Wenger - reserved for steel cases): Emile Vichet and Ponti-Gennari. The hallmark inside the back of the present iteration (number 26 in the Key) identifies the present watch as a Pont Gennari creation. Ponti Gennari was one of the most renowned jewelers/goldsmiths of the mid-twentieth century, and a steady supplier of Patek Philippe. Not only they realized the case of some of the most important pieces manufactured by the brand - such as this watch - but they also were the producers - together with Gay Freres - of the incredibly elaborate and attractive bracelets Patek Philippe will use in the 1950s and 1960s on their automatic wristwatches (one example above all: reference 2526).

Notwithstanding the rarity, collectability and technical complexity of the present watch, its condition can be simply described as “best-in-class”. Not one mark can be found to mar the perfection of the dial, which has aged with an ever so delicate hint of ivory patina. The case condition fully matches the dial: the lugs are full, the hallmark to the outer side of the lug (a notoriously sensitive location) is extremely deep and well defined, the pushers and crown present virtually no sign of wear.

Reference 1436, is estimated to have been produced-all case metals combined - in around 135 pieces (about 120 of them are in yellow gold) over the course of 33 years production was crawling at a rate of about 4 pieces per year. In comparison, iconic reference 2499, often cited as one of the most difficult and slow to realize models, was made at a rate of 9 pieces per year; more than twice as fast. The chronograph reference 130 - the non-split sibling of ref. 1436 are made in about 1500 pieces. with circa 2000 additional chronograph movements cased in different references.

As mentioned, the reference was in production for about 33 years, and it features a case evolution. Early models where equipped with a crown which doubled as split second pusher, while later versions, such as this example were equipped with a coxial pusher in the crown.