Patek Philippe’s landmark vintage chronographs include the references 130, 533, 591, 1463, 530 and 1579 with the references 591 and 1579 standing out for their exceptional and unusual sculptural lugs. The reference 1579 is also referred to as the “spider” lug chronograph featuring one of the most impressive case designs from the mid-20th century. Released in 1943 at Basel and in production until 1964, the oversized, 36mm diameter Wenger case with faceted downturned lugs and rectangular chronograph pushers has an unconventional look that remains sophisticated with an elegant appeal.
The present example is in excellent condition and while the majority of chronographs have speed related scales like the tachymeter printed on the dial, the present example features the rarer pulsometer scale intended for a doctor. Research indicates this chronograph is one of five gold reference 1579 known to the market with such a dial. When it was first offered on the market in 1994, it was fitted with a dial with tachymeter scale. As the Extract from the Archives from August 2024 confirms the watch’s correctness with this pulsations dial, one can assume a previous owner wanted to return the watch to its original configuration, hunting down a correct pulsations dial with Arabic and square hour markers, matching the production date of the watch.
Patek Philippe’s vintage line of mid-20th century chronographs are cherished by collectors for their rarity, elegance and classic styling, with the reference 1579 one of the largest and most unique highly appreciated by connoisseurs.