Important Watches Collector's Wristwa...

The Ritz-carlton Hotel, Feb 20, 2005

LOT 227

Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, "Cala-trava", No. 727324, case No. 309752, Ref. 2597 HS (Heures Sautantes), with two hands. Made in 1959. Very fine and rare, two-time zone, 18K yellow gold gentle-man's wristwatch.

HKD 500,000 - 600,000

EUR 50,000 - 60,000 / USD 65,000 - 80,000

Sold: HKD 563,500

C. Three-body, solid, polished and brushed, flat bezel, concavelugs, band bearing two buttons activating the hour handforwards and backwards according to the world time,independently by steps of one hour at a time, concave lugs.D. matte silver with applied yellow gold and painted indexes,auxiliary seconds dial. Yellow gold "dauphine" yellow goldhands. M. Cal. 12-400 HS, stamped with the Geneva QualityHallmark, rhodium-plated, "fausses côtes" decoration, 18 jew-els,straight line lever escapement, cubimetallic balanceadjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, shock-absorber,Breguet balance-spring, micrometer regulator.Dial, case and movement signed.Diam. 35 mm.227


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Notes

Ref. 2597 HS (Heure Sautante) P P roduction of this reference started in 1958 after Louis Cottier?s 1953 prototype. It was first made with two hands, the "World Time" hour hand being adjusted by two pushers on the left side of the case. From 1958 to 1962 Cottier was given 92 movements "12 400", "12 400 AM" or "27 AM400". by Patek Philippe, for fitting with the World Time system. Cottier's first movements (12 pieces) were delivered in 1958; his last movements (10 pieces) were delivered in 1962. These last 10 movements probably already featured the "third hand" improve-ment. This device appeared in March 1962; its special blue "flamed" steel hand stood out against the gold hands showing "Home" time. Three-hand watches were originally given the Ref. 2597/1 HS. However in the 1970s, Patek SAV (Service après Vente) offered a "3rd hand parts set" to retailers who had two-hand examples of Ref. 2597 in inventory, allowing them to update their watches. For this reason two or three-hand watches have always been called Ref. 2597. According to the archives, Ref. 2597 with two hands were sold until 1975; and those with three hands until 1977. In 1958, the launch year, the yellow gold Ref. 2597J HS was listed at SFr. 2480, as compared to SFr. 1290 for Ref. 570J HL or SFr. 2770 for Ref. 2523J HU DE (World Time with cloisonné enamel dial). Estimated case distribution: 17 examples in pink gold and 75 examples in yellow gold. There have been two generations of dials: - 1st generation: silvered with long thin enameled black indexes and 4 applied lapidated gold indexes at 3, 6, 9 & 12 o'clock, as seen in 1958 & 1964 Patek Philippe General Catalogues. - 2nd generation: silvered with long thin applied gold indexes and lapidated ones at 3, 6, 9 and 12. Only one watch is known today to have been originally delivered with Breguet numerals ("HP" for Heures Penchées), it was sold by Antiquorum in Vicenza in 1992. A yellow gold Ref 2597J HS HL is displayed in the Patek Philippe Museum. This particular watch has lap-idated indexes , like a Calatrava's. It is interesting to note to what degree Ref. 2597 inspired the cur-rently- produced "Travel Time" collection. Ref. 2597 watches are illustrated in "Collecting Patek Philippe Watches", by Osvaldo Patrizzi, Guido Mondani Editore, Genova, 2004, p. 210 to 211 (vol.1) and p. 200 to 203 (vol.2). Similar watches are published in "Patek Philippe Wristwatches", by Martin Huber and Alan Banbery, 1998 Edition, pp. 238-239. Information and research: T. E. C. H. data(c).