Patek Philippe. A very fine, rare and unusual 18K gold limited edition rectangular twin barrel wristwatch with 10 day power reserve with Geneva seal

Of highly distinctive case form, reference 5100 takes its design from the similar, albeit smaller, reference 2554 from the 1950s, also known as the "manta ray" model. Produced in a limited edition, reference 5100 was launched in 2000 to celebrate the new millennium.

What makes this watch a modern take on its predecessor, apart from its size, is also the employment of a power reserve for the amazing duration of 10 days. Conveniently for the wearer of the watch, the mechanism will keep running up to ten days straight without requiring the daily or perhaps 36 hours winding necessary for ordinary timepieces.

Reference 5100 is Patek Philippe's first model featuring a ten-day power reserve. Made in a limited edition, this watch can never be recreated exactly as the firm destroyed the tools that were necessary for making the reference. The prestigious Geneva maker made a total of 3,000 pieces of reference 5100. Of these, 1,500 examples were made in yellow gold, 750 in pink gold, 450 in white gold and 300 in platinum, the latter with a flawless Top Wesselton diamond set between the lugs at 6 o'clock.

Special Notice

Many of the watches offered for sale in this catalogue are pictured with straps made of endangered or protected animal materials such as alligator or crocodile. These lots are marked with the symbol ~ in the catalogue. These endangered species straps are shown for display purposes only and are not for sale. Christie’s will remove and retain the strap prior to shipment from the sale site. At some sale sites, Christie’s may, at its discretion, make the displayed endangered species strap available to the buyer of the lot free of charge if collected in person from the sale site within 1 year of the date of the sale. Please check with the department for details on a particular lot.

Pre-Lot Text

Various properties