Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Hotel Noga Hilton, Oct 16, 2005

LOT 369

?Air Speed Record? Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, No. 868595, case No. 696507, Ref. 2499. Made in the late 1950s. Presented to Pierre Galland to mark his world record for the highest average speed over a distance of 1000 km of 1025.3 kmph on the 18th of January 1958. Very fine, rare and historically important, astronomic, 18K yellow gold gentleman's wristwatch with round button chronograph, 30-minute register, perpetual calendar, moon phases and an 18K gold Patek Philippe buckle.

CHF 250,000 - 300,000

EUR 160,000 - 200,000 / USD 200,000 - 250,000

Sold: CHF 314,250

C. Three-body, solid, polished, concave bezel, fluted lugs, domed crystal. D. Matte silver with applied yellow gold bâton indexes, subsidiaruy dials for the seconds and the 30- minute register, graduation for the days of the month, apertures for the days of the week, the months and the moon phases. Yellow gold ?dauphine? hands. M. Cal. 13'''CC, rhodium-plated, "fausses-côtes" decoration stamped with the Seal of Geneva quality hallmark, 23 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, 8 adjustments, self-compensating Breguet balance spring, micrometer regulator. Dial, case and movement signed. Case back engraved ?RECORD, VITESSE S/1000KM, Pierre Galland, SUR ETENDARD IV, 1025.3KM,18-1-1958? Diam. 38 mm. Thickness 13 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3

Good
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

Pierre Galland Born in 1926, Pierre Galland first entered the military, then became a test pilot for Dassault Aviation. It was for Dassault that Galland made a historic flight on January 18, 1958. Flying in the recently developed Etendard IV, Galland broke the world record for speed, flying at an average of 1,020 km per hour for a 1000 kilometer stretch, with a maximum speed of 1025.3 km/hour. It was his 241st flight. The present watch was given by Marcel Dassault of Dassault Aviation to Pierre Galland as a token of appreciation for this achievement. The watch back was inscribed with the dedication: ?Record vitesse s/1000 km, Pierre Galland, sur Etendard IV, 1025,3 km, le 18/1/1958? Pierre Galland later became a commercial pilot. He died in 1967 at the age of 41. Ref. 2499 Produced in 349 examples from 1951 to 1985, very few with tachometer, the majority in yellow gold, and a very few examples in pink gold. - First series: from 1951 to circa 1960, with applied upright Arabic numerals, "feuille" hands, and square chronograph pushbuttons. - Second series: with round buttons, "feuille" hands, and applied Arabic numerals. - Third series: round buttons, "dauphine" hands, applied indexes. - Fourth series: from 1960 to 1978, round buttons, "dauphine" or "feuille" hands, applied "bâton" indexes, sapphire crystal. In this series, only four watches with black dials are known. Only one split-seconds chronograph with waterproof case is known bearing this reference, specially made by Patek Philippe for Gobbi, Milano, in 1982.