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).