Exceptional horologic works of art

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Oct 11, 2003

LOT 149

Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, No. 868241, case No. 674153, Ref. 1518, 1st series, completed in 1951, sold on August 2, 1955. Production of this reference started in 1941. Extremely fine and very rare, astronomic, 18K pink gold gentleman's wristwatch with perpetual calendar, moon phases, square button chronograph, register, tachometer and an 18K pink gold Patek Philippe buckle. Accompanied by the Extract from the Archives.

CHF 0 - 0

EUR 0 - 0

Sold: CHF 443,500

C. three-body, solid, polished and brushed, concave bezel and lugs. D. matte silver with vertical applied pink gold Arabic numerals, auxiliary second- and 30-minute register dials, graduation for the days of the month, outer tachometer graduation, concentric, the 1/5th second scale, apertures for the days of the week, the months and the moon phases. Pink gold "Feuille" hands. M. Cal. 13''', rhodium-plated, "fausses-côtes" decoration, 23 jewels, straight line lever escapement, cut bimetallic balance, 8 adjustments, Breguet balance-spring,micrometer regulator.Dial, case and movement signed.Diam. 35 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2

Very good
Dial: 2 -01-

HANDS Original

Notes

This watch was recently overhauled by Patek Philippe and is in perfect condition. Ref. 1518 : Produced in 281 examples from 1941 to 1954, in yellow and pink gold, only four examples known to date in stainless steel.- First series with applied gold Arabic numerals from 1941 to 1954.- Second series presented at the Basel Fair in 1942 with enameled hour indexes, the 12 in applied gold Arabic numerals.- Third series with applied gold indexes, the 12 in applied gold Arabic numerals.- Fourth series with applied gold "Bâton" indexes. Similar watches are published in "Patek Philippe Wristwatches", 1998, by Martin Huber and Alan Banbery, p. 303 and in "Collecting Patek Philippe Watches" by M. and O. Patrizzi, Guido Mondani Editore, Genova, 2000, pp. 21-47-292-293-294 and 295. What is a Perpetual Calendar? Mechanical movements tell time by means of ratcheted wheels turning in synchronization. The number of teeth on each wheel describes its function. There are separate wheels for the seconds, the minutes and the hours. A perpetual calendar movement has additional wheels, levers and springs. It has wheels for the days of the week, the day of the month, the year, usually one for the phases of the moon and usually one that makes just one revolution every four years, synchronized with all the others, to account for February 29th in the leap year. Audemars Piguet said they produced the first wristwatches with the perpetual calendar and moon phases in 1924. In 1925, Patek Philippe modified a lady's pendant watch with perpetual calendar to produce the world's first instantaneous changing perpetual calendar wristwatch with indication for leap years.