Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

New York - The Fuller Building, Jun 14, 2007

LOT 98

?Yellow Gold Ref. 5050 ? Roman Numerals? Patek Philippe, Genève, No. 3235702, case No. 2998666, Ref. 5050, first generation. Sold on August 5, 2003. Very fine and rare, astronomic, center seconds, self-winding, 18K yellow gold gentleman's wristwatch with perpetual calendar, retrograde date, leap year indication, moon phases and an 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe deployant clasp. Accompanied by the original box, certificate, and spare case back.

USD 60,000 - 80,000

EUR 45,000 - 60,000

Sold: USD 76,700

C. Three-body, solid, polished, concave bezel, fluted lugs, screwed-down transparent case back, sapphire crystals. D. Matte silver with applied yellow gold Roman numerals, apertures for the days of the week, the months, the moon phases and the leap year, retrograde sector for the date. Black oxydized gold ?feuille? hands. M. Cal. 315/136, stamped with the Seal of Geneva quality mark, rhodium-plated, "fausses côtes" decoration, 31 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, free-sprung Gyromax balance adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, shock absorber, self-compensating flat balance spring. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 36 mm. Thickness 12 mm. Property of a Swiss Collector


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3-9

Good

Scratched
Movement: 2

Very good
Dial: 1-01

As new

HANDS Original

Notes

Ref. 5050 Production of Ref. 5050 started in 1993 with the yellow gold version only. In 1995 Patek Philippe offered the full range for sale: yellow gold, white gold, pink gold, and platinum. Only one dial color, opaline gray, was available for the four different metals, but it was possible to choose between indexes or Roman numerals. This was the first Patek Philippe perpetual calendar wristwatch to feature a ?retrograde date?. In 1993/1995 when the reference was first shown, this complication went largely unnoticed. It was only when the watch was discontinued in 2001/2002 that it became a sought-after complication, by then widely used by other brands. This type of perpetual with retrograde date was subsequently used on the well-known minute repeater, Ref. 5016. With the day and month visible in a small window, as well as the leap year indication, it was the successor to Ref. 3450, and like 3450, was produced in very small quantities. Similar watches are published in ?Collecting Patek Philippe Wristwatches? by Osvaldo Patrizzi, Guido Mondani Editore, 2004, vol. I, p. 84.