Manufacturer: Patek Philippe Year: 1955 Reference No: 2545 Movement No: 725’930 Case No: 308'141 Model Name: Calatrava “Acuatic” Material: 18K pink gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 12-400, 18 jewels, stamped twice with the Geneva seal Bracelet/Strap: Alligator Clasp/Buckle: 18K gold plated buckle Dimensions: 32mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, and movement signed. Accessories: Accompanied by Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch in 1955 and its subsequent sale on November 14th 1956. Provenance: Formerly in the private collection of Theodor Beyer
Provenance
Formerly in the private collection of Theodor Beyer
Catalogue Essay
An avid surfer for decades, it is no surprise that the collector who assembled the Ride the Wave collection would acquire this rare iteration of Patek Philippe’s Calatrava lineage, a reference 2545 with a possibly unique “ACUATIC” designation. Our research shows that this specific 2545 is the only one of its kind with the “Acuatic” designation. The signature indicating waterproofness is corroborated by the screw-down caseback.
Other Calatravas, such as the reference 565, with Borgel-fabricated case, show the “acuatic” signature at 6 o’clock: two examples, one sold by Phillips Geneva in 2016, are in 18K pink gold and retailed by Freccero, the noted Uruguayan retailer. One might conclude that the present 2545 in pink gold was also destined for the South American market.
Very few reference 2545s were cased in pink gold (the majority were in yellow gold), and the present 2545 belongs to the second series of the reference, fitted with the manually wound caliber 12-400. It remained in production for less than a decade after its introduction in 1951. The present example appeared at auction in 2003 as part of the collection of Theodore Beyer. Now having been part of two distinguished collections, this rare and interesting gem is offered for the first time in two decades, accompanied with its Extract from the Archives, in excellent condition with crisp hallmarks visible to the side of the case and underneath the lugs.
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.
