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Lot Essay
Accompanied by Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of watch no. 4'101 in 1850 and its subsequent sale on 20 February 1851. To the best of our knowledge, it has never been offered in public before.
This watch is one of the earliest examples featuring the most efficient and, still today, most usual variation of the crown winding system, a mechanism for setting and winding the watches by the pendant invented by Adrien Philippe.
Until the middle of the 19th century, pocketwatches had to be wound and set with a key which fitted into holes either in the case or in the dial. Through these holes, dirt could penetrate the movements, the keys were lost and for nearly 250 years, no watchmaker had found a practical solution to this problems.
Adrien Philippe's invention of the modern winding and setting stem and crown (pull out to set, push in to wind), French patent No. 1317 of 1845, was more than a clever mechanism. It changed the nature of watches and allowed the evolution from the keyless watch to today's waterproof wristwatch.
He continued the development and perfection of crown and stem winding and setting for almost 20 years. By the time he filed his final patent on the matter in 1861, in France (as the only official patent office was in Paris at that time), the first had already expired, and his idea was in current use.
For a note on Albert Potter see lot 449 in this auction.
This watch is one of the earliest examples featuring the most efficient and, still today, most usual variation of the crown winding system, a mechanism for setting and winding the watches by the pendant invented by Adrien Philippe.
Until the middle of the 19th century, pocketwatches had to be wound and set with a key which fitted into holes either in the case or in the dial. Through these holes, dirt could penetrate the movements, the keys were lost and for nearly 250 years, no watchmaker had found a practical solution to this problems.
Adrien Philippe's invention of the modern winding and setting stem and crown (pull out to set, push in to wind), French patent No. 1317 of 1845, was more than a clever mechanism. It changed the nature of watches and allowed the evolution from the keyless watch to today's waterproof wristwatch.
He continued the development and perfection of crown and stem winding and setting for almost 20 years. By the time he filed his final patent on the matter in 1861, in France (as the only official patent office was in Paris at that time), the first had already expired, and his idea was in current use.
For a note on Albert Potter see lot 449 in this auction.