Property of a Swiss collector
The present watch is a very fine example of a Patek Philippe navigation watch from a very small series, all destined for Observatory trials. The movement has the unusual winding click and Maltese cross stopwork to prevent overwinding. The régleurs were the best-paid workers in the watch industry. Watches they adjusted, and particularly those awarded prizes at Observatory Contests, were several times more expensive than the regular production. When destined for Observatory Timing Contests, the movements of Patek Philippe watches, like those of other makers, were double engraved with the movement serial numbers. The inscription “Extra” on the bridge of the movement refers to the high finishing of all the parts of the movement. The case also bears a German import mark for silver indicating that it was sent for use by the German Navy. Very few navigation watches of this type were supplied by Patek Philippe, perhaps due to their high prices.