Chronometro Gondolo Between 1902 and the early 1930s, Patek, Philippe & Cie produced high quality watches of precise esthetic and technical characteristics exclusively for its Brazilian agent in Rio de Janeiro, Gondolo & Laboriau. These watches bore the name ?Chronometro Gondolo?. On March 10 1902, at 8 o?clock in the morning, the name ?Chronometro Gondolo? was registered under the number 14'401. Several variations were offered: different types of cases (gold, silver, or niello silver); of dials (a choice of 12 hour or 24 hour indications) and of hands. The diameter of the pocket watches ranged from 32 to 57 mm. The dimensions of the movements varied between 10 and 22???, or the equivalent of 22,5 to 50 mm. The movements of Chronometro Gondolo watches were required to possess the following technical characteristics: - An ebauche based on a drawing registered by Adrien Philippe (US patent N° 20483 of January 13, 1891) with wolf tooth winding and a crown. - François Wilmot's patented micrometric cam regulator (US patent No 129197 registered on July 16, 1872). - 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?, so that the winner of the first week?s drawing paid 10 francs for his watch, the winner of the second week, 20 francs, and so on. The 79th member who won the lottery, having made all the payments, was reimbursed the entire sum he had paid! Each of the remaining club members who had not won the lottery received his watch in turn, having paid 790 francs for it. The success of this system partially explains the great popularity of the Chronometro Gondolo at the time. Many clubs existed in Rio and the surrounding area during the first decade of the 20th century. We thank Arnaud Tellier and the Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva, for information kindly provided by them. Right: a rare example of a certificate delivered in 1912 by Gondolo & Laboriau, after payment of the 79th installment for a ?Chronometro Gondolo? watch. (Not the present lots)