Important Collectors Wristwatches, P...
Geneva, Nov 16, 2008
LOT 347
Yellow Gold, Ref. 2526, Luminous Dial Patek Philippe, Geneve, movement No. 763968, case No. 696011, Ref. 2526, 4th generation. Made in 1956, sold on November 20th, 1957. Very fine and rare, water-resistant, self-winding, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with luminous dial and an 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe link bracelet signed by Gay Frères. Accompanied by a fitted box and the Extract from the Archives.
CHF 55,000 - 70,000
USD 50,000 - 65,000 / EUR 35,000 - 45,000
C. Three-body, solid, polished and brushed, curved bezel, screwed-down case back, concave lugs. D. Cream enamel with applied luminous yellow gold faceted baton indexes, outer dot minute divisions, subsidiary dial for the seconds. Luminous yellow gold dauphine hands. M. Cal. 12'''-600 AT, stamped with the Seal of Geneva Quality Mark, rhodium-plated, fausses cotes decoration, 30 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, shock absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance spring, swan-neck micrometer regulator, 18K gold rotor. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 35 mm. Thickness 11 mm. Approx overall length 170 mm
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: AAA |
Excellent |
Case: 3 |
Good |
Movement: 3* |
Good Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense |
Dial: 2-01 |
Very good HANDS Original |
Notes
Launched by Patek Philippe in 1953, this was the company?s first self-winding wristwatch, with caliber 12'''- 600 AT, and serial no. 760,000. It would appear that Patek Philippe produced the Ref. 2526 in 580 examples, most with an enamel dial. The latest automatic movement by Patek Philippe at the time, it later became the Ref. 3428: 20 examples in platinum, 30 examples in white gold, 50 examples in pink gold, 480 examples in yellow gold. Ref. 2526 is highly sought-after by collectors. There have been four generations of this model, as follows:
- 1st generation: domed screw back, beige enamel dial with applied indexes. The enamel is flared around the holes which hold the indexes, the central hands and the subsidiary seconds hand. - 2nd generation: domed screw back, beige enamel dial with applied indexes. The indexes are inlaid in the enamel surface;the enamel is flared around the holes which hold the central hands and the subsidiary seconds hand. In this particular series, only a very few examples were made with a black dial and even fewer ith Breguet numerals.
- 3rd generation: identical to the 2nd generation but with a practically flat screw back. Very few examples of this series were produced with a black dial, and only one with a black dial and Breguet numerals is known to date.
- 4th generation: practically flat screw back, beige enamel dial with applied indexes. The indexes are luminescent and inlaid in the enamel surface; the enamel is flared around the holes which hold the central hands and the subsidiary seconds hand.