Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Oct 04, 2009

LOT 412

Ref. 1463, Pink Gold ? Asthmometer Dial Patek Philippe, Genève, movement No. 863918, case No. 644760, Ref. 1463. Made in 1946, sold on July 9th, 1947. Extremely fine and exceptionally rare, water-resistant, 18K pink gold wristwatch with round button chronograph, 30-minute register, asthmometer scale graduated for 5 respirations and a Patek Philippe 18K pink gold expandable bracelet with deployant clasp by Gay Frères. Accompanied by the Extract from the Archives.

CHF 250,000 - 350,000

USD 235,000 - 330,000 / EUR 165,000 - 230,000

Sold: CHF 372,000

C. Two-body, solid, polished and brushed, stepped bezel, concave lugs, screwed-down case back, inner dust protection cap. D. Matte silver with applied polished and faceted pink gold baton indexes, subsidiary seconds and 30-minute register dials, outer minute and seconds divisions with Arabic five-second numerals, outermost asthmometer graduation graduated for 5 respirations. Pink gold feuille hands. M. Cal. 13''', 23 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance adjusted to 8 positions, blued steel Breguet balance spring, swan-neck micrometer regulator. Dial, case and movement signed. Bracelet with dated 1962. Diam. 35 mm. Thickness: 12 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2

Very good
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

This watch is one of an extremely small number made for the medical profession with a special asthmometer scale instead of the more familiar pulsometer scale and is the first Ref. 1463 with asthmometer scale to appear at auction. The pulsometer is used to time the number of heartbeats per minute whereas the asthmometer is used to time the number of breaths or respirations per minute. The asthmometer scale gives the dial a very unusual and visually dramatic appearance, leaving a large blank space in the upper left-hand quarter. According to the Patek Philippe archives, watches with medical timing scales were all referred to as ?pulsometrique? in the registers and therefore no distinction is made on the Extract.
Asthmometer Indicating the number of respirations per minute. Usually calibrated for 15 respirations, the chronograph hand is stopped after the patient?s 15th respiration; the dial then gives the number of respirations per minute.