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Lot Essay
REF. 130A T – SECTOR DIAL 1938
It is always a rare and special event when a superlative example of a steel vintage Patek Philippe reference 130 is offered at international auction. It is therefore with great excitement that Christie’s Hong Kong now offers as part of the remarkable OAK Collection, one of the finest surviving stainless steel reference 130s fitted with a most beautiful and desirable three-tone ‘Sector’ or ‘Aviator’ dial. Made only for a short period of time, sector dials appeared on Patek Philippe’s chronographs around the mid-1930s.
The present watch which is fully Extract confirmed, is one of only 15 examples so far identified to have survived with this type ‘1938’ sector dial. As most of the known examples have been heavily restored, the present watch, honest and well-preserved with only light and minor restorations over the last 85 years, can be considered not only as an exemplar of Patek Philippe’s design, craftsmanship and technological advancement, but also as an important key piece of the reference. This first series steel reference 130 is without doubt a superb and wearable vintage prize for the collector as one of one of the most renowned and iconic chronographs made by Patek Philippe.
Interestingly, an almost identical steel reference 130 with sector dial with the preceding movement no. 862’093 and very close case no. 505’736, was sold by Christie’s Geneva, 14 May, 2018, lot 91.
Dial
Made by Stern Frères in 1938, three-tone silvered sector dial with indexes, signature and scales entirely engraved enamelled. Honest and well-preserved, it has traces of only very minor restorations and resilvering over the last 85 years. The first sector dials were produced in 1936, the present dial, made in 1938 is entirely engraved-enamelled. The engraving alone would have taken over one weeks work before being filled with enamel and then heated to over 800 degrees. The multi-tone effect was achieved by applying circular brushing on some surfaces and opaline finish on others. At the time, only Stern Frères had the ability to produce such sophisticated dials, the production of which was reserved for Patek Philippe who were also given first choice of any new design or technique.
Case
Serial number 505’739, made in 1938 by George Croisier, three-part ‘Calatrava’ with snap-on bezel, the lugs are made in one piece with the case body and the pinholes for the strap go right through which is correct for this batch. The case band is horizontally brushed in the original manner, the bezel and top of the lugs are mirror polished. The underside of the bezel is scratch marked correctly with the last three digits of the serial number. The winding crown and chronograph pushers are original Patek Philippe parts that were replaced at some time during a past service.
Movement
Serial number 862’094, caliber 13-130, made in 1938. Rhodiumed brass Valjoux ebauche.
Provenance
1938 – The original owner
1999 – Sold Antiquorum Geneva, 24 April, lot 519
2012 – Sold Christie’s Geneva
2012 – Acquired for the OAK Collection
We are grateful to Eric & Gabriel Tortella for their assistance and study in researching this watch.
Reference 130
Reference 130 is known as being the first Patek Philippe wristwatch to have been given an individual reference number. The model is instantly recognizable by its Calatrava case, flat rectangular chronograph push buttons and concave bezel. Production was started in 1934. Subsequently it became a true icon of Patek Philippe. The reference has since become one of the most collectable vintage chronographs of all due to the variety of case materials and dial designs that were available over its production period. It remained in production until the 1960s.
It is interesting to note that the lugs of the stainless steel version are different from the yellow, pink or white gold ones. Their slightly thicker but shorter design gives the watch a rather tonneau-shaped design and a more sporting and robust look.
Literature
Examples of reference 130 with sector dials are illustrated in: Patek Philippe Steel Watches, John Goldberger, pp. 212-223. For other examples of this reference see: Patek Philippe Museum – Patek Philippe Watches, Volume II, pp. 262-265.
It is always a rare and special event when a superlative example of a steel vintage Patek Philippe reference 130 is offered at international auction. It is therefore with great excitement that Christie’s Hong Kong now offers as part of the remarkable OAK Collection, one of the finest surviving stainless steel reference 130s fitted with a most beautiful and desirable three-tone ‘Sector’ or ‘Aviator’ dial. Made only for a short period of time, sector dials appeared on Patek Philippe’s chronographs around the mid-1930s.
The present watch which is fully Extract confirmed, is one of only 15 examples so far identified to have survived with this type ‘1938’ sector dial. As most of the known examples have been heavily restored, the present watch, honest and well-preserved with only light and minor restorations over the last 85 years, can be considered not only as an exemplar of Patek Philippe’s design, craftsmanship and technological advancement, but also as an important key piece of the reference. This first series steel reference 130 is without doubt a superb and wearable vintage prize for the collector as one of one of the most renowned and iconic chronographs made by Patek Philippe.
Interestingly, an almost identical steel reference 130 with sector dial with the preceding movement no. 862’093 and very close case no. 505’736, was sold by Christie’s Geneva, 14 May, 2018, lot 91.
Dial
Made by Stern Frères in 1938, three-tone silvered sector dial with indexes, signature and scales entirely engraved enamelled. Honest and well-preserved, it has traces of only very minor restorations and resilvering over the last 85 years. The first sector dials were produced in 1936, the present dial, made in 1938 is entirely engraved-enamelled. The engraving alone would have taken over one weeks work before being filled with enamel and then heated to over 800 degrees. The multi-tone effect was achieved by applying circular brushing on some surfaces and opaline finish on others. At the time, only Stern Frères had the ability to produce such sophisticated dials, the production of which was reserved for Patek Philippe who were also given first choice of any new design or technique.
Case
Serial number 505’739, made in 1938 by George Croisier, three-part ‘Calatrava’ with snap-on bezel, the lugs are made in one piece with the case body and the pinholes for the strap go right through which is correct for this batch. The case band is horizontally brushed in the original manner, the bezel and top of the lugs are mirror polished. The underside of the bezel is scratch marked correctly with the last three digits of the serial number. The winding crown and chronograph pushers are original Patek Philippe parts that were replaced at some time during a past service.
Movement
Serial number 862’094, caliber 13-130, made in 1938. Rhodiumed brass Valjoux ebauche.
Provenance
1938 – The original owner
1999 – Sold Antiquorum Geneva, 24 April, lot 519
2012 – Sold Christie’s Geneva
2012 – Acquired for the OAK Collection
We are grateful to Eric & Gabriel Tortella for their assistance and study in researching this watch.
Reference 130
Reference 130 is known as being the first Patek Philippe wristwatch to have been given an individual reference number. The model is instantly recognizable by its Calatrava case, flat rectangular chronograph push buttons and concave bezel. Production was started in 1934. Subsequently it became a true icon of Patek Philippe. The reference has since become one of the most collectable vintage chronographs of all due to the variety of case materials and dial designs that were available over its production period. It remained in production until the 1960s.
It is interesting to note that the lugs of the stainless steel version are different from the yellow, pink or white gold ones. Their slightly thicker but shorter design gives the watch a rather tonneau-shaped design and a more sporting and robust look.
Literature
Examples of reference 130 with sector dials are illustrated in: Patek Philippe Steel Watches, John Goldberger, pp. 212-223. For other examples of this reference see: Patek Philippe Museum – Patek Philippe Watches, Volume II, pp. 262-265.