54
Patek Philippe
Ref. 2526
An extremely rare and highly attractive yellow gold automatic wristwatch with diamond-set silvered dial and extract from the archives
完整圖錄內容
• Extremely rare iteration of the iconic reference 2526 with silvered, diamond-set dial - only the fourth publicly known example
• Fresh-to-the-auction market
Patek Philippe’s first automatic wristwatch, the legendary reference 2526, was introduced to the market in 1953 and set the standard for a timeless and elegant case design. Reference 2526 was launched with the celebrated caliber 12-600 AT - Patek Philippe’s first automatic movement, considered by many to be the most beautiful and highest quality self-winding movement made by any manufacturer.
This is due to the fact that Patek Philippe, like all other manufacturers, was not able to produce an automatic movement with a 360-degree rotor until Rolex’s patent expired. Rather than spending time on less optimal solutions (bumper rotors, hinged-lugs winding, etc.), Patek Philippe focused its R&D on the cal. 12-600 for over two decades, waiting for the patent to expire.
Offered in yellow, pink, and white gold, as well as platinum, the 35.5mm diameter Baumgartner-fabricated case was oversized for the era, but due to its thicker proportions, perfectly suits contemporary tastes. The combination of yellow gold case and a silvered, diamond-set dial, confirmed on the extract from the archives, has only been seen on three other examples offered publicly, according to our research. More examples are known in white gold and platinum with diamond-set dials, in fact. Fresh to the auction market, it is an exciting and charismatic configuration for this iconic reference.
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.