Important collector's watches, wristw...

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Apr 13, 2002

LOT 581

Patek, Philippe & Cie., Genève, No. 97911, case No. 220819, circa 1895, retailed by A. Sulikowski, Kracow. Extremely rare and very fine large 18K gold keyless double-train trip minute-repeating watch with chronograph and 60-minute register. Accompanied by the Extract of the Archives.

CHF -

EUR 0 - 0 / USD 0 - 0

Sold: CHF 553,500

C. Four-body, ?bassine?, engine-turned, back engraved with the coat of arms of the Topór family, gold hinged cuvette, chronograph push button at 1 o?clock with safety bolt. D. Off-white enamel, radial Arabic numerals, outer minute gold paillon dot divisions, outermost chronograph divisions with five-minute Arabic figures, minute register at 12 o?clock. Gold ?Louis XV? hands. M. 43 mm. (19???), nickel, ?fausses côtes? decoration, tandem winding, 38 jewels, straight line calibrated lever escapement, cut-bimetallic compensation balance, Breguet balance spring, micrometric ?swan-neck? regulator, chronograph mechanism of unusual construction with entire train jeweled and center wheel capped set on the back plate, repeating on two gong by tripping the push button in the crown. Signed on dial, case and movement. Diam. 52 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3-15

Good

Slightly rusted
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

There are fewer than 30 double-train Patek Philippe trip repeaters known, and only three also have a chronograph. Two (No. 97992 and No. 124527) are in the Patek Philippe Museum; the third is the present watch, which may well be their first application of a double-train repeating system to a chronograph. The dial is quite unusual: the application of paillons by Patek Philippe is extremely rare, and in addition the off-white color has been traditionally reserved by the company for their best, most unique watches. The size of the watch, along with its large radial Arabic numerals, are also unusual in their watches. The watch was made on special order by Patek Philippe?s representative in Poland, A. Sulikowski, who no doubt had a request for such a piece from the person whose coat of arms is engraved on the back. It is one of the oldest in Poland and belongs to some of the most influential and wealthy Polish families of the period, such as Krasnopolski, Ossolinski or Rakowski.