In the 1950s, Patek Philippe began a gradual process of design experimentalism which moved gradually away from the standard round cases predominant for the previous 2 decades. This process brought eventually to the world whimsical creations such as the Gilbert Albert-designed pieces, the 2442 “Marylin Monroe” or the 2441 “Tour Eiffel”. The obscure reference 2560 is indeed a child of this time, the experimentalism evident with the unusual hooded lugs employed on this case.

The case was made by Le Locle based casemaker “Cedex, Charles Dubois SA”, identified by the number 170 in the hammerhead. Interestingly, the Dubois family had three branches, all of them into the case making business and each identifies by a different number (the other two being 171 and 172).

Even the most knowledgeable connoisseur of vintage watches might be stumped when admiring this exquisite timepiece, and with good reason. Reference 2560 appears to be one of the most elusive models in all of Patek Philippe’s production: so far only two pieces, including this example, have appeared on the market. The other known ref. 2560 appeared at auction in 1997 and now resides in the Patek Philippe museum, making this specimen the only one publicly available. A timepiece for the collector who wants to merge whimsical looks with the highest tier of exclusivity.