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Lot Essay
This superbly preserved “first series” reference 2597 was purchased by the present owner in these rooms in 2004 at which time it was entirely fresh to the market. Stored away ever since in the same important private collection it is now being offered only for the second time at auction.
This ref. 2597 impresses with its outstandingly good, original condition, the case showing little or no signs of polishing, its symmetry, size, angles and hallmarks are a delight to examine. Similarly the dial retains its original finish and sheen, the hard enamel details of the seconds indexes and signature are beautifully raised and intact. The caliber 12'''400 HS movement is as crisp and fresh as the day the watch left Patek Philippe. It would be hard to find another example of the reference 2597 so wonderfully intact and pleasing to the eye.
Combining all the elements a demanding collector looks for, this reference 2597 is furthermore sold with the original certificate, envelope, box and tag, rendering it the perfect trophy for the collector of exceptional timepieces.
Reference 2597
Production of reference 2597 with movement caliber 12'''400 HS jumping hours or heures sautantes in French was launched in 1958. This ingenious “Time Zone Watch” was designed by the legendary Louis Cottier, Patek Philippe patented it under Swiss Patent 340191 in 1959. With the arrival of transatlantic flights with jet aircraft in the 1950s, the need for a watch showing both local and home time increased. Various attempts were made but none could compete with Louis Cottier's elegant solution. The main problem was the setting of the hours independently of the minutes, allowing travellers to easily and quickly adjustment the hour indication to their local time zone without losing the correct time in minutes.
Cottier's design enabled the moving of the cannon pinion and consequently the hour hand in 12 steps around a 12-pointed star-wheel driven by the motion work. By pushing the two correction buttons in the band, the position of the hand can be changed in either direction by exactly one hour while maintaining its correct relationship to the minute hand.
Reference 2597 was made in two versions, the present watch is from the first series with an independently adjustable hour hand, as described above, the pushers on the left-hand side of the case advance or move back the hour hand in one hour “jumps”. The second version, available from about March 1962, featured an additional hour hand.
The model is illustrated in: Patek Philippe Wristwatches, Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, second edition, pp. 238 & 239.
This ref. 2597 impresses with its outstandingly good, original condition, the case showing little or no signs of polishing, its symmetry, size, angles and hallmarks are a delight to examine. Similarly the dial retains its original finish and sheen, the hard enamel details of the seconds indexes and signature are beautifully raised and intact. The caliber 12'''400 HS movement is as crisp and fresh as the day the watch left Patek Philippe. It would be hard to find another example of the reference 2597 so wonderfully intact and pleasing to the eye.
Combining all the elements a demanding collector looks for, this reference 2597 is furthermore sold with the original certificate, envelope, box and tag, rendering it the perfect trophy for the collector of exceptional timepieces.
Reference 2597
Production of reference 2597 with movement caliber 12'''400 HS jumping hours or heures sautantes in French was launched in 1958. This ingenious “Time Zone Watch” was designed by the legendary Louis Cottier, Patek Philippe patented it under Swiss Patent 340191 in 1959. With the arrival of transatlantic flights with jet aircraft in the 1950s, the need for a watch showing both local and home time increased. Various attempts were made but none could compete with Louis Cottier's elegant solution. The main problem was the setting of the hours independently of the minutes, allowing travellers to easily and quickly adjustment the hour indication to their local time zone without losing the correct time in minutes.
Cottier's design enabled the moving of the cannon pinion and consequently the hour hand in 12 steps around a 12-pointed star-wheel driven by the motion work. By pushing the two correction buttons in the band, the position of the hand can be changed in either direction by exactly one hour while maintaining its correct relationship to the minute hand.
Reference 2597 was made in two versions, the present watch is from the first series with an independently adjustable hour hand, as described above, the pushers on the left-hand side of the case advance or move back the hour hand in one hour “jumps”. The second version, available from about March 1962, featured an additional hour hand.
The model is illustrated in: Patek Philippe Wristwatches, Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, second edition, pp. 238 & 239.