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Lot Essay
US$8,800-13,000
With Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch with white dial, breguet numerals in 1999 and its subsequent sale on 15 July 1999.
With the arrival of transatlantic flights with jet aircrafts in the 1950s, the need for a watch showing both local and home time increased. Various attempts were made but none could compete with Louis Cottier's elegant solution developed for Patek Philippe. The main problem was the setting of the hours independently of the minutes, allowing travellers the easy and quick adjustment the hour indication to their local time zone without losing the correct time in minutes.
Cottier's design enabled the moving of the cannon pinion and consequently the hour hand in 12 steps around a 12-pointed star-wheel driven by the motion work. By pushing the two correction buttons in the band, the position of the hand can be changed in either direction by exactly one hour while maintaining its correct relationship to the minute hand.
This patented wheel train is today the basis of Patek Philippe's reference 5034, manufactured from 1997 to 2002.
With Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch with white dial, breguet numerals in 1999 and its subsequent sale on 15 July 1999.
With the arrival of transatlantic flights with jet aircrafts in the 1950s, the need for a watch showing both local and home time increased. Various attempts were made but none could compete with Louis Cottier's elegant solution developed for Patek Philippe. The main problem was the setting of the hours independently of the minutes, allowing travellers the easy and quick adjustment the hour indication to their local time zone without losing the correct time in minutes.
Cottier's design enabled the moving of the cannon pinion and consequently the hour hand in 12 steps around a 12-pointed star-wheel driven by the motion work. By pushing the two correction buttons in the band, the position of the hand can be changed in either direction by exactly one hour while maintaining its correct relationship to the minute hand.
This patented wheel train is today the basis of Patek Philippe's reference 5034, manufactured from 1997 to 2002.