The Collection of a European Nobleman
Geneva, May 11, 2008
LOT 239
Ref. 5050R, Roman Dial Patek Philippe, Genève, No. 1958507, case No. 2961879, Ref. 5050R, 1st generation. Sold on January 11, 2002. Very fine and rare, center-seconds, self-winding, 18K pink gold wristwatch with perpetual calendar, retrograde date, leap year indication, moon phases and an 18K pink gold Patek Philippe deployant clasp. Accompanied by the Certificate of Origin and booklets.
CHF 50,000 - 70,000
EUR 32,000 - 45,000 / USD 50,000 - 70,000
Sold: CHF 86,400
C. Three-body, solid, polished, concave bezel, fluted lugs, screweddown transparent case back, sapphire crystals. D. Matte silver with applied pink gold radial Roman numerals, apertures for the days of the week, the months, the moon phases and the leap year, retrograde sector for the date. Pink gold feuille hands. M. Cal. 315/136, stamped with the Seal of Geneva Quality Mark, rhodium-plated, fausses cotes decoration, 31 jewels, straight line lever escapement, free-sprung Glucydur 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 11 mm
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: AAA |
Excellent |
Case: 2 |
Very good |
Movement: 2* |
Very good Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense |
Dial: 1-01 |
As new HANDS Original |
Notes
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.
The Advanced Rresearch Department at Patek Philippe developed a new terminal curve design using the Silinvar balance spring. The patented Patek Philippe terminal curve is noticeably thicker at the outer end, forcing concentric development upon the Spiromax spring. This causes the expansion and contraction of the spring to be symmetric relative to its center over the entire plane of oscillation. The Patek Philippe terminal curve lies within this plane and can be crafted three times thinner than a spring with a Philips or Breguet overcoil, thus facilitating the construction of very thin movements.
Silicon Escape Wheel The reference 5350 uses the silicon escape wheel first found in the ref. 5250 launched in 2005. The advantages of using silicon is that it is anti-magnetic, very hard, lightweight and corrosion resistant, above all the locking tooth faces never need to be lubricated.