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拍品專文
With Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch in 1963 and its subsequent sale on June 18, 1979.
With the arrival of intercontinental travel Patek Philippe sought out the ingenious watchmaker Louis Cottier who helped them develop a simple but highly sophisticated mechanism to help travelers quickly and efficiently switch timezones such as seen with the famed reference 2597, but also at the very top a world-time watch that would help travelers to read the time in 41 cities around the world. A single crown model was launched in the late 1930's where the bezel engraved with cities would have to be turned manually, in 1953 Patek Philippe launched the reference 2523 known as the two-crown world time World-Time model.
The 1st generation stood out with very prominent multi-faceted and raised lugs and were often enhanced with beautiful enamel dials depiciting North or South America, see Geneva May 14, 2011 sale lot 88 or single color enamel dials see Geneva November 15, 2010, lot 114. A few years later Patek Philippe launched a derivative reference 2523-1 featuring the same mechanism but a slightly more modern and sleek case, the lugs still very much resembling the 2523 are a little less raised and no longer stand up above the bezel and don't have such prominent multi-faceted edges. This model was never available with enamel dial but only with smooth or textured silvered dials.
The present example is a superb specimen in close to perfect if not mint and unworn condition retaining a lovely hallmark at 10am position and sharp facets and a beautiful satin finish. Coming from a very distinguished collection where it took over 15 years a prominent position. It is now only for the second time in 20 years at auction and must be considered one of the most beautiful, iconic, post-war designs by any watch manufacturers ever launched.
With the arrival of intercontinental travel Patek Philippe sought out the ingenious watchmaker Louis Cottier who helped them develop a simple but highly sophisticated mechanism to help travelers quickly and efficiently switch timezones such as seen with the famed reference 2597, but also at the very top a world-time watch that would help travelers to read the time in 41 cities around the world. A single crown model was launched in the late 1930's where the bezel engraved with cities would have to be turned manually, in 1953 Patek Philippe launched the reference 2523 known as the two-crown world time World-Time model.
The 1st generation stood out with very prominent multi-faceted and raised lugs and were often enhanced with beautiful enamel dials depiciting North or South America, see Geneva May 14, 2011 sale lot 88 or single color enamel dials see Geneva November 15, 2010, lot 114. A few years later Patek Philippe launched a derivative reference 2523-1 featuring the same mechanism but a slightly more modern and sleek case, the lugs still very much resembling the 2523 are a little less raised and no longer stand up above the bezel and don't have such prominent multi-faceted edges. This model was never available with enamel dial but only with smooth or textured silvered dials.
The present example is a superb specimen in close to perfect if not mint and unworn condition retaining a lovely hallmark at 10am position and sharp facets and a beautiful satin finish. Coming from a very distinguished collection where it took over 15 years a prominent position. It is now only for the second time in 20 years at auction and must be considered one of the most beautiful, iconic, post-war designs by any watch manufacturers ever launched.