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Lot Essay
The present "Grande Ellipse" by Patek Philippe is a very-well preserved and extremely rare example of this legendary reference, featuring the Arabic inscription “Only in times of need will you find freedom, Col. Muammar Gaddafi” to the lower half of the dial.
For his speech given on Labor Day in Libya in 1978, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi had commissioned Patek Philippe to manufacture a very small series of watches to commemorate this day. The watches were made in white gold with an integrated white gold bracelet. The dial colour was a reference to his "Green Book" and is made of a pale green hardstone.
According to our research, only three other examples are known to the market with the same case, bracelet and dial configuration as this watch; however one additional example is enhanced with another part of Colonel Gaddafi's personalized quote in English lettering: "We celebrate today the first of May, the International Workers Day. The real workers day is the one on which all workers of the world are liberated from slavery and when they become partners instead of wage workers".
Reference 3589 "Grande Ellipse" was launched in 1970 and discontinued in 1979. It houses the calibre 28-255, the same automatic movement as the famous Jumbo Nautilus reference 3700.
For his speech given on Labor Day in Libya in 1978, Colonel Muammar Gaddafi had commissioned Patek Philippe to manufacture a very small series of watches to commemorate this day. The watches were made in white gold with an integrated white gold bracelet. The dial colour was a reference to his "Green Book" and is made of a pale green hardstone.
According to our research, only three other examples are known to the market with the same case, bracelet and dial configuration as this watch; however one additional example is enhanced with another part of Colonel Gaddafi's personalized quote in English lettering: "We celebrate today the first of May, the International Workers Day. The real workers day is the one on which all workers of the world are liberated from slavery and when they become partners instead of wage workers".
Reference 3589 "Grande Ellipse" was launched in 1970 and discontinued in 1979. It houses the calibre 28-255, the same automatic movement as the famous Jumbo Nautilus reference 3700.