Prestigious Wristwatches

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Mar 31, 2001

LOT 597

Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, No. 861494, case No. 2604978, Ref. 2524/1. Production of this reference started in 1955.Very fine and very rare, minute repeating, 18K yellow gold gentleman's wristwatch. Accompanied by an 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe buckle.

CHF 250,000 - 300,000

USD 150,000 - 185,000

Sold: CHF 322,500

C. three-body, solid, polished and brushed, concave lugs. D. matte silver with applied gold bâton indexes. "Dauphine" yellow gold hands. M. 12''' RM, rhodium-plated, "fausses côtes" decoration, 29 jewels, lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to heat, cold isochronism and 5 positions, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring, micrometer regulator, repeater on gongs by means of a slide on the band.Dial, case and movement signed.Diam. 34 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2 - 01

Notes

Similar watches are published in "Patek Philippe Genève, Wristwatches", by Martin Huber and Alan Banbery, Patek Philippe S.A., Geneva, 1998 Edition, pp. 318-319, and in "Collecting Patek Philippe Watches" by M. and O. Patrizzi, Guido Mondani Editore, Genova, 2000, pp. 314, 315, and 317.What is a Minute Repeater?A minute repeating watch tells the time both visually and audibly. A slide on the side of the case, usually near the #9, will activate two hammers in the movement. These hammers strike two gongs curled within the case. First one hammer strikes a gong of lower tonality; it will count out the hours. Then both hammers will strike both gongs alternatively to count out the quarter hours after that hour, and then the second hammer alone striking a gong of higher tonality will count out the minutes aftr that quarter hour. The repeating mechanism was developed by Daniel Quare. In 1687, he had patented a mechanism that sounded the hours and the quarter hours. The early repeaters used bells. At theend of the 18th century, two bent-wire gings became the more popular mechanism. In 1892, the first minute repeater wristwatch was produced by Omega, a model with a round-shaped case.