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Lot Essay
Please note that Christie’s has applied for an ‘Extract from the Archives’ from Patek Philippe Archives but the Extract has not yet been issued and may not be available by the date of the auction.
Christie’s is extremely pleased to offer to our clients, international collectors, and all admirers of Patek Philippe, this stunning vintage yellow gold reference 1436J split-seconds chronograph. Last seen on the market almost 25 years ago, this world-class rarity represents an all-too-rare opportunity to add an important Patek Philippe ‘golden age’ classic to any distinguished collection.
Of outstanding quality and elegant design, reference 1436 stands among the pinnacles of Patek Philippe’s mid-century production, and was, in fact, the first split-seconds chronograph ever produced in series. The dial’s layout is particularly pleasing to the eye, with prominence given to the tachymeter scale and the applied gold hour indexes with Roman half-hour numerals. The split-seconds chronograph function enables the timing of two events simultaneously, for instance, two cars in a race, and features a 30-minute counter for events lasting longer than one minute.
Reference 1436
Since its introduction in 1938, reference 1436 has remained the best-known split-seconds chronograph model produced by Patek Philippe. The split-seconds chronograph is regarded as one of the three most challenging complications in watchmaking, and ref. 1436 is highly coveted by collectors as Patek Philippe’s first split-seconds chronograph wristwatch produced in series. It was predominantly cased in yellow or pink gold, with no examples known to date in white gold or platinum. The elegant design of reference 1436, combined with its highly complex movement, marked a peak in the evolution of technical wristwatches, an area in which Patek Philippe has long been preeminent.
Reference 1436 was produced in two generations, differing in the construction and operation of the chronograph mechanism. In the first generation, made until the late 1940s, the crown itself served as a button to split and reunite the two seconds hands. The second generation, such as the present watch, features a co-axial push button within the crown to operate the split-seconds function.
Christie’s is extremely pleased to offer to our clients, international collectors, and all admirers of Patek Philippe, this stunning vintage yellow gold reference 1436J split-seconds chronograph. Last seen on the market almost 25 years ago, this world-class rarity represents an all-too-rare opportunity to add an important Patek Philippe ‘golden age’ classic to any distinguished collection.
Of outstanding quality and elegant design, reference 1436 stands among the pinnacles of Patek Philippe’s mid-century production, and was, in fact, the first split-seconds chronograph ever produced in series. The dial’s layout is particularly pleasing to the eye, with prominence given to the tachymeter scale and the applied gold hour indexes with Roman half-hour numerals. The split-seconds chronograph function enables the timing of two events simultaneously, for instance, two cars in a race, and features a 30-minute counter for events lasting longer than one minute.
Reference 1436
Since its introduction in 1938, reference 1436 has remained the best-known split-seconds chronograph model produced by Patek Philippe. The split-seconds chronograph is regarded as one of the three most challenging complications in watchmaking, and ref. 1436 is highly coveted by collectors as Patek Philippe’s first split-seconds chronograph wristwatch produced in series. It was predominantly cased in yellow or pink gold, with no examples known to date in white gold or platinum. The elegant design of reference 1436, combined with its highly complex movement, marked a peak in the evolution of technical wristwatches, an area in which Patek Philippe has long been preeminent.
Reference 1436 was produced in two generations, differing in the construction and operation of the chronograph mechanism. In the first generation, made until the late 1940s, the crown itself served as a button to split and reunite the two seconds hands. The second generation, such as the present watch, features a co-axial push button within the crown to operate the split-seconds function.