Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces

New York, Dec 13, 2012

LOT 336

PATEK PHILIPPE SPLIT SECONDS CHRONOGRAPH REGULATOR DIAL IN BOX CASE PINK GOLD Patek, Philippe & Co, Geneva, No. 65409. Made for Merrick, Walsh and Phelps, St. Louis, MO in 1882 and sold on May 4th, 1883. Extremely rare and possibly unique, very fine, keyless, 18K pink gold pocket watch with split seconds chronograph in a heavy and elaborate Patek Philippe box case. Accompanied by an Extract from the Archives.

USD 40,000 - 60,000

EUR 31,000 - 46,000

Sold: USD 50,000

C. Four-body, bassine, solid, box case hinge, curved rectangular pusher on the band for the split-seconds function, locking bolt at 11 o'clock. Hinged and engraved gold cuvette. D. White enamel with off-center subsidiary hour and minute regulator dial with Roman numerals, the outermost split second track with fi ve second Arabic numerals in red, 1/5 seconds division, subsidiary seconds. Blued steel spade hands. M. 19''', fausses cotes decoration, 23 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator. Case and movement signed Patek Philippe, dial and cuvette signed Marrick, Walsh and Phelps. Diam. 55 mm


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2-8

Very good

Slightly scratched
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Patek Philippe split second chronograph pocket watches with regulator dials were produced in few numbers and primarily for the US market. While most of these movements were cased domestically, the present lot is the only known example to feature a pink gold box-style case that was made at the Patek Philippe factory. The watch is further distinguished by featuring the movement number on the dial. It was common for the dials and cuvettes to be signed by the retailers, and the present lot bears the signature of Merrick, Walsh & Phelps out of St. Louis, Missouri. The co-founder of Patek Philippe, Antoine Norbert de Patek, personally made the retailer an offi cial client to the fi rm in 1855