Manufacturer: Patek Philippe Year: 1901 Movement No: 156’854 Case No: 408’866 Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 17’’ Dimensions: 45.5mm diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed Accessories: Accompanied by Patek Philippe fitted presentation box. Further delivered with the Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming the date of manufacture of the present timepiece in 1901 and its subsequent date of sale on 5th March 1925.
Catalogue Essay
Born from the manufacture of Patek Philippe in 1901, the present open face chronograph is an elegant example of early 20th-century horology. Cased at 45.5mm diameter in yellow gold, the white enamel dial features a 1/5 seconds outertrack, 30-mute register and subsidiary seconds. Activated by the pusher on the crown, each seconds can be captured by the refined blued-steeled hands gliding across the decorative black Arabic numerals. The chronograph can also be locked with the adjustment of the bolt at the edge of the case at 11 o’clock.
Preserved in excellent condition and engraved with “M.C” on its caseback by its previous owner, the hallmarks of PP.C, Patek Phillipe & Co is crisply companioned by two owl French hallmarks indicating that this present timepiece was imported to France during the era. Furthermore, the present pocket watch is accompanied by the period correct presentation box and an Extract from the Archives confirming its date of manufacture in 1901 and subsequently sold in March of 1925.
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.