This watch was serviced by Patek Philippe in September 2005. Chronometro Gondolo. Between 1902 and the early 30s, Patek, Philippe produced high quality watches of precise characteristics, called ?Chronometro Gondolo?, exclusively for its Rio de Janeiro agent Gondolo & Laboriau. Several types were offered: cases of gold, silver, or niello silver; a choice of 12- hour or 24-hour dial; and various types of hands. Diameters ranged from 32 to 57 mm. The movements varied between 10 ??? and 22???. The movements were required to possess the following characteristics: - An ebauche based on a drawing registered by Adrien Philippe, with wolf tooth winding and a crown. - François Wilmot's patented micrometric cam regulator - A 9K gold train. - A straight line "moustache" lever escapement with cut bimetallic compensation balance and a Breguet balance spring. - A minimum of 18 jewels (there were either 18, 19, 20 or 21 jewels). Certain models had a center seconds hand, or a chronograph mechanism. Although a fairly large number of Patek Philippe movements made during the 19th century had gold wheel trains, after the Chronometro Gondolo, Patek Philippe made no other watches with gold trains. During the 1920s, the first Gondolo wristwatches appeared. They were made in various shapes: round, square, rectangle, "tonneau" or "coussin". Art Deco Chronometro Gondolo watches were made, either ultra slim, or of a "carré galbé" shape. Gondolo & Laboriau introduced a novel kind of marketing for the Chronometro Gondolo, which was also a brilliant public relations operation: the buyers of the watches paid by installment. They remitted the equivalent of ten Swiss francs per week for a period of 79 weeks maximum, and in return became part of an exclusive club of 180 members. Special outings and picnics were held, each member received a hat with ?Patek? inscribed on it, and in addition they could take part in a special lottery. Weekly drawings were held, the winner receiving his ?Chronometro Gondolo?. We thank Arnaud Tellier and the Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva, for information kindly provided by them.