Important Watches, Collector's Wristw...

The Ritz-carlton Hotel, Hong-kong, Jun 08, 2002

LOT 198

Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, No. 760515, case No. 678234, Ref. 2526, retailed by Tiffany & Co., New York. Production of this reference started in 1953.Very fine and extremely rare, water-resistant, self-winding, 18K yellow gold gentleman's wristwatch with a motto on the dial and an 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe bracelet with fancy links. Accompanied by an Extract from the Archives.

HKD 312,000 - 390,000

EUR 45,000 - 56,000 / USD 40,000 - 50,000

C. two-body, solid, polished, screwed-down case back. D. ivory-colored with applied yellow gold indexes, concentric, the motto "DO UNTO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD HAVE THEM DO UNTO YOU", auxiliary seconds dial. "Dauphine" yellow gold hands. M. Cal. 12'''-600 AT, stamped with the Geneva Quality Hallmark, rhodium-plated, "fausses-côtes" decoration, 30 jewels, straight line lever escapement, Gyromax balance adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, shock-absorber, self-compensating free-sprungreguet balance spring, shock-absorber, micrometer regulator, 18K yellow gold rotor.Dial, case, and movement signed.Diam. 35 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 5 - 01

Notes

Ref. 2526First 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. 2526in 580 examples, mostly with enamel dial. - 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 sought-after by collectors. There have been four generations of this model which have evolved as follows:- 1st generation:domed screw back, synthetic 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, synthetic 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, synthetic 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.Around 1960, Ref. 2526 was equipped with Cal. 27-460, the latest automatic movement by Patek Philippe at the time, and became theRef. 3428.The very first wristwatch of this series, Ref. 2526, which is also the first self-winding wristwatch ever made by Patek Philippe, is illustrated in "Collecting Patek Philippe Watches", by Madeleineand Osvaldo Patrizzi, Guido Mondani Editore, Genova, 1994,p. 111, pl. 167. Similar watches are published in "Patek Philippe Wristwatches", by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, 1998 Edition, pp. 213-214 and 216-217.