Patek Philippe. A fine and historically important silver openface keyless lever watch, presented to Pope Pius IX
Patek Philippe. A fine and historically important silver openface keyless lever watch, presented to Pope Pius IX
Patek Philippe. A fine and historically important silver openface keyless lever watch, presented to Pope Pius IX
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Patek Philippe. A fine and historically important silver openface keyless lever watch, presented to Pope Pius IX
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On lots marked with an + in the catalogue, VAT wil… Read more PATEK PHILIPPEHistoric Silver Watch for Pope Pius IX from the Swiss CatholicsThe Property of a Private Italian Family Collection
Patek Philippe. A fine and historically important silver openface keyless lever watch, presented to Pope Pius IX

Signed Patek Philippe & Co., Fabricants d’Horlogerie à Genève, movement & case no. 52'234, manufactured in 1876

Details
Patek Philippe. A fine and historically important silver openface keyless lever watch, presented to Pope Pius IX
Signed Patek Philippe & Co., Fabricants d’Horlogerie à Genève, movement & case no. 52'234, manufactured in 1876
Movement: cal. 18''', manual
Dial: white enamel, Roman numerals
Case: cuvette engraved PIO IX.PP., HELVETI CATHOLICI DD, MDCCCLXXVII, signed, hinged back engraved with the coat of arms of Pope Pius IX, 47 mm. diam., numbered
With: Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming manufacture of the present watch with engraved coat of arms in 1876 and its subsequent sale on 14 May 1877
Provenance
Presented to Pope Pius IX by the Swiss branch of the Catholic organization Piusverein in 1877
Thence by descent in a private collection. According to family tradition, the watch was given by a member of the Curie to one of their ancestors responsible for the Cathedral of Orvieto, Italy.
Special notice
On lots marked with an + in the catalogue, VAT will be charged at 7.7% on both the premium as well as the hammer price.

Lot Essay

THE POPE PIUS IX JUBILEE PATEK PHILIPPE
Very few Patek Philippe watches have made their way to the inner chambers of the Vatican. The present watch, recently discovered and offered here for the first time at auction, is one of two identical watches so far known that were presented to Pope Pius IX in 1877. The other watch, with preceding number 52’233 was sold at Christie’s New York on 6 December 2016, lot 31. Both known watches were made in 1876 and sold on exactly the same day by Patek Philippe - 14 May 1877. Excitingly, therefore it would appear that his holyness was in fact presented with a pair of watches and not a single watch as previously thought.

The cuvette reveals the engraving: “PIO IX PP HELVETI CATHOLICI D.D.” and “1877” in Roman numerals. The PP indicates Pastor Pastorum, literally Shepherd of Shepherds or Pope, and it translates from Latin “The Swiss Catholics gave the watch” to Pius IX. This group of Catholics belonged to the Piusverein, also known as the Pius Association, which was named after Pope Pius IX, a social organization formed in 1848 to defend Catholic interests throughout Europe. It is very likely that Antoine Norbert de Patek was affiliated with this organization during his time in Geneva. This watch was given to Pius IX in honor of his golden Episcopal Jubilee as followers around the world visited the Pope to honor him. The engraving of the coat of arms is confirmed on the Extract from the Archives.

Born Giovanni Maria Mastai Ferretti in Senigallia, Italy on May 13, 1792, the future Pope was born to a noble family and was ordained as a priest by age 27 in 1819, named a Bishop in 1831, and Cardinal in 1840. In 1846, at the age of 48, he was elected Pope, the leader of the Catholic Church. In 1869, he organized the first Vatican Council, Vatican I, and redefined the Church’s position on faith. Pope Pius IX was beatified in 2000 by Pope John Paul II and is recognized for his spiritual life as well as his historic importance as the longest reigning Pope in history.

For images and information regarding the Patek Philippe quarter repeating watch made for Pope Pius IX, see: Timepieces for Royalty 1850-1910, p. 50-53. This watch, No. 27'033, is presently Patek Philippe Museum Inventory No. P-736. It bears Pius IX’s coat of arms executed in enamel.

For a discussion of Popes and their Patek Philippe watches see Hodinkee.com, 18 May 2014, “In-Depth: A Study of Holy Horology, Or Popes and Their Pateks” by John Reardon.

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