971
Patek Philippe
A well-preserved, rare and attractive yellow gold open-faced keyless pocket watch with small seconds, white enamel dial, Breguet numerals, Guillaume balance and gold cuvette engraved with Second Prize at the Geneva Astronomical Observatory Timing Contest
- Estimate
- HK$24,000 - 48,000€2,800 - 5,700$3,100 - 6,200
Catalogue Essay
The star of the show is the “Extra” quality 19’’’ nickel plated movement decorated with Côtes de Genève. Patek Philippe classified its watches with a special system: “Extra”, “Special”, and “Extra Extra” being the highest quality and finishing which required master watchmakers to handle. Each caliber produced by the manufacturer is made to exacting specifications and guidelines, including jewelling to the train and escapement, the end-stone must be centered on the baseplate, the going train must be angled above and below with polished sink, the winding mechanism must meet registered designs, steeled parts must have polished angles just to name a few. The movements that qualify as “Extra” have more requirements including, jewels set in gold chatons, often with counterpoised straight line lever escapements, micrometer regulators and eight adjustments. It is also notable that the timepieces that were sent to the Observatory Contest boasts movement numbers stamped twice within the movement.
Featuring a Guillaume balance with “eagle head” staff, gold wheels, wolf tooth gears and diamond-endstone, this movement is built for ultimate precision timekeeping. Furthermore, it is engraved with its patent date “Jan 13 1891” for the ornamental bridge design that granted Patek Philippe to claim the patent for the famous Chronometro Gondolo calibre made for retailer Gondolo & Lauriau.
Boasting not only a strong case, crisp hallmarks and razor-sharp engravings, but devoltion and endurance that only a few can accomplished, the present specimen surely have enough reasons for modern day collectors to fall in love with pocket watches all over again.
Patek Philippe
Swiss | 1839Since 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.