Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...

New York, Dec 09, 2009

LOT 153

Patek Philippe Ref. 2526 Enamel Dial, First Generation Patek Philippe, Genève, No. 760114, case No. 678239, Ref. 2526. Made in 1953. Very fine and rare, water-resistant, self-winding, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with enamel dial. Accompanied by an Extract from the Archives.

USD 22,000 - 30,000

CHF 22,000 - 30,000 / EUR 15,000 - 20,000

Sold: USD 36,000

C. Two-body, solid, polished and brushed, rounded bezel, screw-down case back, concave lugs. D. Ivory-color enamel with applied yellow gold faceted baton indexes, outer dot minute divisions, subsidiary dial for the seconds. 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 regulator, 18K gold rotor. Dial, case, and movement signed. Diam. 35 mm. Thickness 12 mm.


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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

Ref. 2526. First launched by Patek Philippe in 1953, this was the first selfwinding wristwatch model ever made by the company, with the caliber 12'''-600 AT, bearing the serial number 760,000. It would appear that Patek Philippe produced the Ref. 2526 in 580 examples, mostly with an enamel dial.The latest automatic movement by Patek Philippe at the time, it became the Ref. 3428 :- 20 examples in platinum.- 30 examples in white gold.- 50 examples in pink gold.- 480 examples in yellow gold.The Ref. 2526 is a most appealing wristwatch and is highly soughtafter by collectors. There have been four generations of this model which have evolved 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 with 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. Similar watches are published in "Patek Philippe Wristwatches", by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, 1998, pp. 213-214 and 216-217.