Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Nov 08, 2014

LOT 983

PATEK PHILIPPE, REF. 1463 "WITHOUT INDEXES & TIMING SCALE" PROBABLY UNIQUE DIAL YELLOW GOLD Patek Philippe, Genève, movement No.868928, case No. 698839, Ref. 1463. Made in 1956, sold on May 31st, 1958. Extremely fine and probably unique, water-resistant, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with round button chronograph and register. Accompanied by the Extract from the Archives.

CHF 100,000 - 150,000

HKD 857,000 - 1,286,000 / USD 105,000 - 157,000

Sold: CHF 147,750

Two-body, solid, polished and brushed, screw-down case back, stepped inclined bezel, anti-magnetic dust cap, concave lugs. Champagne without numerals, outer minute/ seconds divisions, subsidiary dials for the seconds and 30-minute register. Blued steel baton hands. Cal. 13```, rhodium-plated, stamped with the Seal of Geneva Quality Mark, fausses cotes decoration, 23 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance with 8 adjustments, self-compensating blued steel Breguet balance spring, swan-neck micrometer regulator.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

Dial, case and movement signed. DIAM. 35 mm. THICKNESS 13 mm. This visually dramatic watch would appear to be unique amongst the reference 1463 in having a dial with neither indexes nor numerals and also without a timing scale of any description. The dial would certainly seem to be a finished piece of Patek Philippe manufacture and indeed the layout of the outer minute/seconds track would preclude it being an unfinished piece as there is no space remaining for any kind of timing scale. There are several variations of dial for the reference 1463 including dials with tachometer, pulsometer and asthmometer so within the reference many variations exist and therefore the present dial could be an un-adopted design or trial piece for a model that never came into being. The explanation for the existence of this watch can only be conjecture but its striking appearance certainly has great appeal.