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Lot Essay
With Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch with enamel dial and laped hour markers in 1958 and its subsequent sale on 31 October 1958.
Consigned by a private collector, this reference 2526 has never been offered in public before. It is distinguished by its attractive original overall condition, the appealing cream-coloured dial and the signature Serpico y Laino to dial and case back, Patek Philippe's prestigious retailer in Caracas, Venezuela.
Introduced into the market in 1952, reference 2526 was Patek Philippe's first self-winding or automatic watch ever made, starting with movement number 760'000 (delivered in July 1953 to Mr. J.B. Champion, one of Patek Philippe's faithful clients. This watch, fitted with a gold bracelet, is today the pride of a discerning collector). The model features the legendary calibre 12-600 AT which was granted Swiss patent No. 289758 in 1953 for "a self-winding mechanism for a wristwatch movement using the energy supplied by a rotary mass causing an eccentric part to transmit a swinging movement to an organ of the mechanism". The first 500 examples of reference 2526 were fitted with the earliest version of calibre 12'''600 without ball bearing, rendering these watches particularly rare and collectable.
The majority of reference 2526 was cased in yellow gold, a small series in pink gold and an exceedingly limited number in white gold and platinum. Mainly fitted with enamel dials with applied gold baton numerals, the white gold and platinum examples were also available with silvered metal dials with diamond indexes.
A paragon of understatement and timeless class combined with a state-of-the art movement, reference 2526 has significantly influenced the popularity of wristwatches featuring enamel dials. In 1960, it was replaced by reference 3428, equipped with the second generation self-winding movement, calibre 27-460.
Reference 2526 is illustrated in Patek Philippe Museum - Patek Philippe - Volume II, pp. 244-245.
Consigned by a private collector, this reference 2526 has never been offered in public before. It is distinguished by its attractive original overall condition, the appealing cream-coloured dial and the signature Serpico y Laino to dial and case back, Patek Philippe's prestigious retailer in Caracas, Venezuela.
Introduced into the market in 1952, reference 2526 was Patek Philippe's first self-winding or automatic watch ever made, starting with movement number 760'000 (delivered in July 1953 to Mr. J.B. Champion, one of Patek Philippe's faithful clients. This watch, fitted with a gold bracelet, is today the pride of a discerning collector). The model features the legendary calibre 12-600 AT which was granted Swiss patent No. 289758 in 1953 for "a self-winding mechanism for a wristwatch movement using the energy supplied by a rotary mass causing an eccentric part to transmit a swinging movement to an organ of the mechanism". The first 500 examples of reference 2526 were fitted with the earliest version of calibre 12'''600 without ball bearing, rendering these watches particularly rare and collectable.
The majority of reference 2526 was cased in yellow gold, a small series in pink gold and an exceedingly limited number in white gold and platinum. Mainly fitted with enamel dials with applied gold baton numerals, the white gold and platinum examples were also available with silvered metal dials with diamond indexes.
A paragon of understatement and timeless class combined with a state-of-the art movement, reference 2526 has significantly influenced the popularity of wristwatches featuring enamel dials. In 1960, it was replaced by reference 3428, equipped with the second generation self-winding movement, calibre 27-460.
Reference 2526 is illustrated in Patek Philippe Museum - Patek Philippe - Volume II, pp. 244-245.