Important collector's watches, wristw...

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Apr 13, 2002

LOT 329

Patek, Philippe & Cie., Genève, No. 157261, case No. 274322, started in 1911, finished 1912, sold on December 15, 1931. Very fine and rare 18K gold, keyless, double-train, independent dead seconds stop watch, accompanied by the Extract from the Archives.

CHF 20,000 - 30,000

EUR 14,000 - 20,000 / USD 12,000 - 18,000

Sold: CHF 33,350

C. Four-body, ?bassine?, polished, gold hinged cuvette. D. White enamel, bold radial Roman numerals, outer minute/dead-seconds ring. Blued steel ?spade? hands. M. 42 mm. (19???), nickel, ?fausses côtes? decoration, straight line calibrated lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with gold mean and temperature screws, Breguet balance spring, 29 jewels, independent dead seconds by means of a flirt wheel acting on a small pinion mounted on the escape wheel arbor, activated by a button at the band with a locking bolt. Signed on dial and case. Diam. 51 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

From the very beginning of its existence, the Patek Philippe firm was involved in the development of chronograph watches. By 1840 they had made independent dead-seconds watches (for example the serial No. 274), based on the principle invented in 1776 by Moise Pouzait of Geneva, which in later years, Adrien Philippe was to improve considerably. He moved the entire ?independent? train over the center bridge, allowing more room for the going train and in particular for the balance, which is larger, affording better timekeeping qualities. He made important improvements regarding winding both movements with a single crown (Swiss patent No. 1017 of May 23, 1889), utilizing his earlier invention of a ?free?, or ?slipping? mainspring, which had been patented on June 16, 1863, in France. The present watch is an excellent example of the implementation of all the above ideas and patents. A virtually identical watch is illustrated in ?Patek Philippe, Genève?, by Martin Huber and Alan Banbery, 1993, p.195.