Important Watches, Wristwatches and C...

New York, Omni Berkshire Place Hotel, Jun 20, 1998

LOT 491

Patek Philippe & Cie, Geneve, No. 868983, case No. 2616381, Ref. 1436, made in 1959, sold on 17 December 1960. Very fine and rare, 18K yellow gold gentleman ' s wristwatch with square button split-second chronograph, register and tachometer.

USD 100,000 - 120,000

Sold: USD 173,000

C. massive, polished. D. matt silver with applied gold Breguet numerals + auxiliary seconds and 30 minutes register dials, outer tachometer graduation. "Feuille " gold hands. M. 13''' rhodium plated, "fausses cotes" decoration, 25 jewels, lever escapement, cut bimetallic balance, 8 adjustments, Breguet balancespring, micrometer regulator, the winding-crown is also for the stop and reunite functions of the splitsecond hand. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 33 mm. Accompanied by Extract from Archives.


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Grading System
Case: 15-35

Slightly rusted

To be restored
Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-51

Very good

Partially reprinted

Notes

This example with Breguet numerals on the dial is extremely rare. Split-second chronograph wristwatches were the must of Patek Philippe technology and were generally cased after 1938 with the Ref. 1436. The majority are in yellow gold, very few in pink gold, and three examples only are known in stainless steel, of which two were sold by Antiquorum: - Geneve, 10 April 1994, lot 431, at SFr. 484'000 (US$ 342,000) - Geneve 22-23 April 1995, lot 457, at SFr. 379'500 (US$ 334,650) Some were produced with a coaxial button on the windingcrown for the split-second functions (stop and reunite). A probably unique, extra-large size, Ref. 2512, was made in 1950 and sold on 14July 1952. It was offered by Antiquorum, Geneve, 12-13 October 1996, lot 644, and realized SFr. 792'000 (US$ 628,600) Split-second chronographs with a waterproof case and round push buttons are extremely rare. They have the Ref. 1563 and were produced in the 1940's. Only three examples in yellow gold are known to exist today. Another was cased, in the 1980's, in yellow gold with round push buttons and has the Ref. 2499.