Exceptional Horological Works of Art

Geneva, Oct 19, 2002

LOT 125

Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, No. 868329, case No. 676627, Ref. 1436, made in 1952, sold on November 19, 1955, retailed by Freccero. Production of this reference started in 1938 to 1971. Exceptional and extremely rare, 18K pink gold gentleman's wristwatch with square button split-seconds chronograph, register, tachometer and an 18K pink gold Patek Philippe buckle. Accompanied by the "Extrait des Registres".

CHF 1 - 1

EUR 1 - 1

Sold: CHF 564,500

C. three-body, solid, polished and brushed, concave lugs. D. pink with applied pink gold Roman numerals and indexes, auxiliary seconds and 30-minute register dials, outer tachometer gradu-ation. "bâton" pink gold hands. M. Cal. 13-130, rhodium-plated, "fausses-côtes" decoration, 25 jewels, straight line lever esca-pement, cut bimetallic balance adjusted to 8 positions, Breguet balance-spring, micrometer regulator, the winding-crown is for stop and reunite of the split-second hand. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 33 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good

Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense

Dial: 3 - 01

Notes

Similar watches are published in "Patek Philippe Wristwatches", by Martin Huber and Alan Banbery, 1998, p. 273-274. 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 are they in pink gold, and only three 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-1950's some were produced with a coaxial button on the winding-crown for the split-seconds functions (stop and reunite). What is a split-seconds chronograph ? The split-seconds chronograph, in its present form, was first introduced in 1880. A split-seconds chronograph rattrapante is a type of chronograph watch with two coaxial superimposed center-seconds hands that are controlled by two push-buttons. One push-button controls the split-seconds hand to stop or join the chrono-graph hand. The other push-buttons control both the hands and all of the functions of the chronograph. The two hands, the chrono-graph hand and the split-seconds hand, are used for timing several events that start simultaneously but are of different durations. To operate the split-seconds chronograph, both hands are started and remain superimposed. Then at the end of the first duration, the split-seconds hand can be stopped while the chronograph hand continues to move. The duration of the first event can be read. After recording, the split-seconds hand can be released to instantly move and join the chronograph hand, synchronizing with it and thus ready for another recording. At the end of each event the hands can be stopped and then returned to zero.