Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...
Geneva, May 08, 2010
LOT 483
Patek Philippe, Ref. 2526 Pink Gold with Original Bracelet Patek Philippe, Genève, movement No. 761453, case No. 685336, Ref. 2526, 1st generation. Made in 1954, sold on June 15, 1955. Very fine and rare, self-winding, water-resistant, 18K pink gold wristwatch with the original 18K pink gold Patek Philippe bracelet. Accompanied by a Patek Philippe fitted box and the Extract from the Archives.
CHF 28,000 - 40,000
USD 27,000 - 38,000 / EUR 20,000 - 30,000
Sold: CHF 58,800
C. Two-body, solid, polished and brushed, screw-down case back, concave lugs. D. Beige enamel with applied pink gold faceted baton indexes, subsidiary seconds dial, outer dot minute divisions. Pink 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, Gyromax balance adjusted for heat, cold, isochronism and five positions, shock-absorber, selfcompensating Breguet balance spring, swan neck micrometer regulator,18K gold rotor. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 35 mm. Thickness 11 mm. Approx. overall length 175 mm.
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: AAA |
Excellent |
Case: 2-46 |
Very good Service crown |
Movement: 2* |
Very 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 self-winding 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. 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 illustrated in Patek Philippe Wristwatches, by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, 1998, pp. 213-214 and 216-217