Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Mar 27, 2011

LOT 433

Patek Philippe ? Silver Lever Chronometer Navigation Watch for Geneva Observatory Trial Patek Philippe & Cie., Genève, "Montre de Torpilleur" No. 191011, case No. 625944, Ref. 738, made in 1921, sold on January 30, 1942. Exceptionally fine and rare, large, silver, keyless, "Extra" adjusted lever chronometer navigation watch with Guillaume balance adjusted by J. Golay-Audemars, entered for Geneva Observatory Timing Contest, category A, in 1927, achieving 636 points and Honorable Mention. Accompanied by the Extract from the Archives and copy of the Observatoire de Geneve Service Chronometrique Register.

CHF 65,000 - 10,000

USD 6,500 - 10,000 / EUR 5,000 - 8,000

Sold: CHF 28,750

C. Four-body, "bassine", polished. Hinged silver cuvette. D. Brushed sand-colored silver, champlevé Arabic numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds. Blued steel Breguet hands. M. 42 mm. (18???), rhodium plated, fausses côtes decoration, pillar plate under the dial with oeil de perdrix finishing, 23 jewels, 8 adjustments, very high quality straight line calibrated equidistant lever escapement, anibal-brass Guillaume compensation balance with poising wings on the balance arm, gold and platinum temperature and meantime adjustment screws, blued steel Breguet balance spring with inner and outer terminal curves, ruby banking pins in shape of small plates inserted into the bridge, punched twice with Seal of Geneva Quality marks, swan-neck micrometric regulator, special mainspring ratchet wheel click preventing overwinding and Maltese Cross stop work. Dial, case and movement signed, case punched with Swiss and German silver marks. Diam. 60 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

The present watch is a very fine example of a Patek Philippe navigation watch from a very small series, all destined for Observatory trials. The movement has the unusual winding click and Maltese cross stopwork to prevent overwinding. It was submitted for trial at the Observatoire de Geneve in 1927, category A and the Bulletin de Marche was issued in March 1928, achieving the following results: 636 points out of a possible 1000 ? with honorable mention. It was tested with a compensation error by Centigrade degrees of 0.013, and ?reprise de marche? of -0.40. It was adjusted by master régleur J. Golay-Audemars. The régleurs were the best-paid workers in the watch industry. Watches they adjusted, and particularly those awarded prizes at Observatory Contests, were several times more expensive than the regular production. When destined for Observatory Timing Contests, the movements of Patek Philippe watches, like those of other makers, were double engraved with the movement serial numbers. The inscription "Extra" on the bridge of the movement refers to the high finishing of all the parts of the movement. The case also bears a German import mark for silver indicating that it was sent for use by the German Navy. Very few navigation watches of this type were supplied by Patek Philippe, perhaps due to their high prices.