Important Watches, Wristwatches and C...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Apr 12, 1997

LOT 606

Patek Philippe & Cie, Geneve, No. 198213, case No. 607064, made in 1928, sold on 16 October 1931 to Eldridge R. Johnson to be presented to Floyd H. Bradley. Rare and important "Tortue"-shaped, minute repeating, 18K yellow gold gentleman's wristwatch.

CHF 0 - 0

C. massive, polished, with an inscription on the back. D. matt silver with applied gold Breguet numerals + auxiliary seconds dial. "Feuille " gold hands. M. 11 "' rhodium plated, 29 jewels, lever escapement, cut bimetallic balance, 8 adjustments, flat balancespring, repeating on gongs with slide in the band. Dial, case and movement signed. In excellent condition, with Extract of the Archives. Dim. 29 x 34 mm.


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Notes

The back of the watch i s inscribed " Floyd I I Bradley Camden New Jersey front Eldridge R. Johnson September 21. 1931 " . American tycoon Eldridge Reeves Johnson, president of the Victor Talking Machine Co. (purchased by RCA, Radio Corporation of America, in 1929), presented this watch to the prominent U.S. corporate attorney Floyd Henry Bradley in gratitude For successfully tr ying a series of important cases, with particular reference to the one won on 21 September, 1931. Interestingly, Bradley had been given the choice of selecting either a watch or an automobile. After his death, the watch was inherited by his third son, Floyd H. Bradley Jr, who gave it to his second son, Floyd Henry Bradley III. This watch is one of the smallest minute repeating wristwatches ever produced by Patek Philippe, of which only very few were made. A similar wristwatch, in platinum, was specially made for John Graves Jr, a successful New York business man and the greatest Patek Philippe collector of the 1930 ' s; its movement number (No. 198212) i mmediately precedes that of the present lot (see Patel; Philippe Wristwatches by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, Antiquorum Editions, p. 237, pl. 392 a-d). Until Me late 1960 ' s, minute repeating wristwatches were produced by Patek Philippe in live designs: "Tonneau"-shaped, rectangular, square, " Tortue " -shaped and round. The latter appears to be the final and the most commonly found design after World War II. Rare Patek Philippe minute repeating wristwatches known to date: - One "Tonneau" -shaped, in platinum, specially made iii 1928 for John Graves Jr (as mentioned in the note above) and now in the Pack Philippe Museum. - One rectangular, in yellow gold, sold by Antiquorum, in Geneva, The Arl 11 Patch Philippe thematic auction, 9 April, 1889, lot 297, specially made in 1927 for Eugene D. Hirsch, Los Angeles, California. - One square, made iuu 1926, illustr ated in Patel( Philippe Wrishealches by Martin Iluher & Alan Banbery, Antiquorum Editions, p. 239, pl. 394. - Very few "Tortue" -shaped examples were produced in the late 1920 's and the early 1930 's. They were made iuu platinum, white gold, yellow golcl or bicoloured and, altogether, less than 10 examples are known today. One, identical to the lot now offered, is illustrated iuu Patch Philippe lif isluealdtes by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, Antiquorum Editions, p. 239, pl. 395. - Several round models exist, made between the 1930 ' s and the 1960 ' s, of which a few feature a subsidiary seconds dial (sec Patch Philippe Wrishualches by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, Antiquorum Editions, p. 242-243).