Similar watches are published in ?Collecting Patek Philippe Wristwatches? by Osvaldo Patrizzi, Guido Mondani Editore Genova, 2004, vol I, pp. 123 - 127 and Vol. II, pp. 95 - 100.
The present lot comes from the original owners and was bought in 1951, when the family lived in Rome, Italy. It was acquired and worn by a New Jersey pilot, who flew his first solo flight in 1936 and was stationed with the ?U.S. Army Air Corps 303rd? and ?359th Bomb Groups? in England during World War II. Flying 59 combat missions as a B-17 pilot, his bravery earned him numerous air medals, the ?Silver Star?, ?Distinguished Flying Cross? and the ?French Croix de Guerre?, the latter awarded to him by Charles de Gaulle personally. Relying on his Ref. 1436 throughout his impressive aviation career, he flew for several international carriers to Europe, Africa, North and South America, the Middle and Far East/Asia and the Pacific Rim. When he retired in 1980, he had amassed just under 33,000 hours total flying time and the split-seconds chronograph went to Patek Philippe for a complete refurbishment, before it was passed on to the son. Engraved with a special inscription, the proud new owner worn the watch until recently throughout a further notable aviation career. A pilot for 25 years with 15,000 hours total flying time accumulated, he currently flies as airline captain mostly domestic routes in a regional jet.
Ref 1436
Split-seconds chronograph wristwatches were "the must" of Patek Philippe technology and after 1938 were generally cased with this Reference. The majority are in yellow gold, rarely, they are in pink gold, and only four stainless steel examples are known, two of which were sold by Antiquorum: - Geneva, April 10, 1994, lot 431. - Geneva, April 23 1995, lot 457. In the mid-1950s some were produced with a coaxial button on the winding crown for the splitseconds functions (stop and reunite). Production of this reference ceased in 1971. 1st generation: stop and reunite functions of the split-second hand controlled by the winding crown. 2nd generation: stop and reunite functions of the split-second hand controlled by a co-axial button in the winding crown. The Split-Seconds Chronograph was designed to time two events which begin simultaneously but conclude at different times, as well as a single event for which an intermediate timing is necessary, such as horse or car races. Patek Philippe was one of the first to introduce modern split-seconds chronographs - as early as 1862. (No. 17557, see Antiquorum, October 18, 1992, lot 590.) The split-seconds mechanism employs two central chronograph hands. Both hands are started at the same time. The split-seconds hand can be stopped while the chronograph hand continues to move. The splitseconds hand can be reunited with the chronograph hand in order to time another event. This complication is especially useful during sporting events such as a horse race, a car race or a ski race. Production of this reference ceased in 1971.