Manufacturer: Patek Philippe Year: 1907 Movement No: 125’407 Case No: 276’238 Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 19”’, jeweled Dimensions: 50mm diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and cuvette signed Accessories: Delivered with Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming its date of manufacture of the present timepiece in 1907 and its subsequent date of sale on 24th December 1925.
Catalogue Essay
Hailing from the early 1900s, the present Patek Philippe yellow gold open face chronograph pocket watch belongs to a “pre-reference” example that features an elegant white enamel dial with a 30-minute register and a 1-minute register with painted black dauphine numerals. With its caseback engraved “AP” and confirmed by the Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives, the engraving remains crisp for a watch that is over 100 years old. Powered by the cal. 19”’ a Victorin Piguet ebauche with a straight line lever escapement, the chronograph is activated via a single pusher on top of the crown.
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.