AN 18CT GOLD AUTOMATIC WRISTWATCHREF:3992, CASE NO. 2917948, MOVEMENT NO. 1197509, CALIBRE 240, RECENT.

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AN INTRODUCTION TO PATEK PHILIPPE WATCHES In 1839, Polish exiles Count Antoine Norbet de Patek and Francois Czapek formed the company of Patek, Czapek & Co. in Geneva. The partnership lasted for approximately five years and they produced in the region of 1100 watches. These were predominantly decorated with patriotic or religeous scenes often commissioned by members of the exiled Polish community. In 1845 Adrien Philippe went into partnership with Patek and thus began one of the greatest watchmaking partnerships in history. Patek Philippe & Co. started supplying Tiffany & Co with watches in 1849 and over the next few years attracted many important patrons including Queen Victoria and the majority of European Royal families. In 1861 Adrien Philippe received a second patent for his system of winding via the crown, this was the first of many patents that would change the watchmaking industry for ever. Prior to his retirement in 1891, fourteen years after the death of Patek, Philippe had patented at least five new inventions and improvements. This tradition of innovation has continued to the present day with pieces such as the Calibre 89 which is the most complicated watch ever produced and the Calibre 2000 due to be released to mark the "true Millennium". At the dawn of the 20th Century Patek Philippe found two new patrons, James Ward Packard of Warren, Ohio and Henry Graves Jr. of New York. Messrs Graves and Packard vied with each other to commission increasingly complicated watches from Patek Philippe culminating in the Graves watch completed in 1932. This was the most complicated watch of it's time and is second only to the Calibre 89. Around the same time Charles and Jean Stern who were dial makers took over Patek Philippe and the Stern family have remained proprietors to this day. In the years immediately preceding World War II watch production was unremarkable in terms of complexity although remained of typical high quality. Complicated watches were certainly produced at this time in small numbers and these watches - including split seconds chronographs, perpetual calendars and repeaters are amongst the most sought after by collectors today. In the thirty years after the war Patek Philippe added several significant developments to their watches including the planitary rotor for self-winding watches, the gyromax balance and the creation of the DE or "Division Electronique" which was instrumental in the development of the quartz chronometre. In recent years, the continued production of high quality wristwatches has remained the cornerstone of the company. This has allowed them to create a series of limited edition complicated watches, the majority of these made in runs of 250 of hand finished, hand assembled watches. Patek Philippe have been and will undoubtedly remain one of the most desirable watches in the world. Poincons de Geneve The Poincon de Geneve is a voluntary control for watches at the Geneva observatory. The specifications for a watch receiving the "Geneva Quality Mark" were established in a law dated November 6th, 1886. The mark is designed as the coat of arms of Geneva. Wrist and pocket watches which carry the Poincons de Geneve which is stamped on the bridge and on the main plate of the movement, can be officially termed as chronometers. The Poincons de Geneve is considered to be the equivilent to a Bulletin Officiel de Marche. FINE PATEK PHILIPPE WATCHES FROM A PRIVATE AMERICAN COLLECTOR Christie's is proud to present this collection of Patek Philippe watches, which has been collected by a discerning American collector over a period of some twenty years. The sheer diversity of design and complexity of the watches ranging from the 1920's to the present day will be of interest to the established collector and newcomer to the world of Patek Philippe alike. This collection has something for everyone ranging in price from as little as 1500 pounds to 65,000 pounds for the superb platinum split second chronograph and perpetual calendar, model: 5004. We are frequently asked by potential collectors, still to make their first Patek purchase, why there is such interest in watches from Patek Philippe. There are several reasons. Firstly, the company has always put quality first. Since their inception they have always strived to offer the best in design and technology that was availiable to them rather than aim for the mass market. They have also paid close attention to after sales service, particularly interesting to collectors is the fact that Patek Philippe have kept records of all their products, allowing the buyer of a vintage piece today to check with the company whether a piece is genuine and what repairs have been done by Patek's worshops. These factors have encouraged collectors to buy vintage pieces of 60 to 80 years of age and even older, when other makes would have been long discarded. Of course it is not just the mechanical aspect of a watch which gives appeal, the design and quality of the cases also has no small part to play in the enduring popularity of Patek Philippe. This sale is the largest single owner collection of Patek Philippe watches to be offered at auction and provides buyers with the opportunity to view a varied selection of watches rarely seen at one time.

AN 18CT GOLD AUTOMATIC WRISTWATCH REF:3992, CASE NO. 2917948, MOVEMENT NO. 1197509, CALIBRE 240, RECENT.

Details

AN 18CT GOLD AUTOMATIC WRISTWATCH
REF:3992, CASE NO. 2917948, MOVEMENT NO. 1197509, CALIBRE 240, RECENT.
white enamel dial with Roman numerals and blued steel hands, machined rhodium finished self-winding 27-jewel movement adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and five positions, with 22ct. gold micro-rotor, and bearing the Poincons de Geneve, circular case with snap on back and hobnail bezel, maker's strap with 18ct. gold buckle, dial, case and movement signed, 33mm.

Special notice

VAT rate of 17.5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer’s premium.

Further details

This lot is sold with Patek Philippe boxes, Certificate of Origin, booklets and wallet.

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