Prestigious Wristwatches

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Mar 31, 2001

LOT 558

Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, No. 921373, case No. 626625, Ref. 1526, 1st serie. Production of this watch and of the reference started in 1941.Extremely fine and probably unique, astronomic, 18K yellow gold gentleman's wristwatch with perpetual calendar and moon phases, with special dial. Accompanied by an 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe buckle, Extract from the Archives and by a Patek Philippe letter of explanation.

CHF 160,000 - 200,000

USD 100,000 - 125,000

Sold: CHF 212,500

C. three-body, solid, polished and brushed, concave bezel and lugs. D. matte silver with applied yellow gold indexes and Arabic numerals, auxiliary seconds dial, concentric, inner graduation for the days of the month, apertures for the days of the week, the months and the moon phases. "Feuille" yellow gold hands. M. Cal. 12'''-120 QP, rhodium-plated, "fausses côtes" decoration, 18 jewels, lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to heat, cold isochronism and 5 positions, Breguet balance-sring, micrometer regulator.Dial, case and movement signed.Diam. 35 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 01

Notes

This watch could be one of the very earliest examples of the Ref. 1526 produced by Patek Philippe. The movement was entered in the registers on June 26, 1941, cased and ready for sale on December 23, 1941. It would appear that what was regarded as the first series of Ref. 1526, comprising 6 watches (with movement Nos. 921'614 to 921'619), was made seven months after the present watch, and these movements were entered in the registers on January 31, 1942, cased and ready for sale on October 3, 192. Then followed the other 200 watches, more or less, of this reference, which were produced between 1942 and 1952.Graphically the design of the dial of this first watch is somewhat different to that of the other watches produced between 1942 and 1952. The auxiliary dial, with the moon, has the seconds ring on the outer part, while the date indication is in the inner part. The rectangular window openings for the day and the month are larger and so too, therefore, is the printing of the week days and months on the disks. This type of dial would appear to be unique. An archives photograph, dating from this perod, illustrates a watch that is in every part similar to this particular watch Ref. 1526. This document is illustrated in "Patek Philippe Wristwatches", by Martin Huber and Alan Banbery, 1998 edition, p. 283, pl. 438. Another particularity which adds to the rarity and collectability of this piece is the fact that the case is 1 mm. thicker than any others.Ref. 1526Produced in 210 examples from 1941 to 1952 with the caliber 12 '''-120 QP, the majority in yellow gold, rarely in pink gold, with only one example known to date in stainless steel. - First series with indirect center-seconds produced in very few examples. One of these watches was sold by Antiquorum, Geneva, in the thematic auction "The Art of Patek Philippe", April 9, 1989. lot 203. - Second series with concentric auxiliary dials for the seconds and the days of the month.