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Lot Essay
Patek Philippe launched the solar-powered dome clock in the mid-20th century. They boast lavish and uniquely decorated cases featuring engravings of varying pattern or cloisonné enamel scenes. Still in production today, most likely due to their continued popularity, they were made in three series;
First series: Produced in the 1950s and 1960s with a mechanical 17’’’250 E pocket watch movement powered through the solar panel in the dome, The large solar panel supplies power to the cylindrical storage device which then transmits energy to wind the movement. The beauty of this patented mechanism allowing the clock to be functional in the dark. At the time, this patented technique was seen as revolutionary, Patek Philippe were seen as being able to “master the energy of light.”
Second series, and the present clock, beginning in 1970, dome clocks were produced with Quartz movement with a smaller solar panel that seemed to have a higher position on the dome, becoming even smaller in the 1990s.
Third series: The only dome series with cell battery movement. This has a smaller solar panel or no solar panel seen from 2007 onwards.
Elisabeth Perusset Lagger
Cloisonné Enamel
This timepiece was decorated by Elisabeth Perusset Lagger, a celebrated artist excelling in fine cloisonné enameling. Her work is predominantly known on Patek Philippe Dome clocks, the curved panels and dome presenting an extraordinary challenge mastered by only the most skillful artists. Towards the end of the 1940's, the Swiss watchmaking industry revived the technique of cloisonné enamel which had been used since the Byzantine period. This technique uses fine bands (filaments) of gold to outline the design subject, which are then soldered to the surface of a plate. The empty spaces are then filled with ground enamel and fired multiple times at varying temperatures between 700 and 900 degrees centigrade to achieve different colors. Patek Philippe's enamellers can take up to one year to complete such a dome clock and less than a handful can be complete each year at their workshops. The artistry had been perfected over the decades and the artists could eventually miniaturize it to be made on wristwatches seen only from 1949 at Basel.
The present clock, however, can be seen as even more impressive than most in its technique. The colors are extremely vibrant for the 70s, echoing those made earlier in the 50s. In the light, the orange of the sky has a gold/copper hue which is so radiant. Notably, black enamel is extremely hard to do in a faded sense but here it seems effortlessly applied, seen in the clouds, in the sails of the boats and also in the bricks of the castle.
L'Aventure de la Voile
Due to each clock being unique, demanding the skill and precision of the artists hand, most were commissioned by their owners to represent certain stories or favorite motifs. The present clock represents a unique story of its own, a tale of adventures on the seas where one can witness many exciting and often unexpected encounters. Perhaps this clock was commissioned by the original owner to remember a past trip, perhaps it came to him in a dream, perhaps he/she always longed for an adventure such as this. Whatever the reason, its tale is evoked with high precision. A detailed description below;
Left panel: A boat with flags, at a blue and green sea with fish and curled gold waves, Poseidon (mythological Greek god of the sea), and a tall castle
Central panel: Two boats further in the distance on rougher seas, larger and lower grey clouds casting shadow
Right panel: A larger boat, anchor, brighter green seas
Dome: A large deep red image that could possibly represent the sun, but also a compass. Also seen are sails of a boat, bags and barrels of booty, possible treasure or reward, a manuscript and scroll, possibly a map
A n interesting and notable feature of this clock is its dome, not only because of what it represents but also because of its texture. The dome is slightly uneven and seems to evoke the high and low tides of the ocean. Through the tale, technique, tone and texture we are willingly swept away to another world and able to enjoy a time that we may never have had the pleasure to experience before. This is the ultimate success for an artwork of this nature.
To the best of our knowledge the present clock has never before been offered in public.
First series: Produced in the 1950s and 1960s with a mechanical 17’’’250 E pocket watch movement powered through the solar panel in the dome, The large solar panel supplies power to the cylindrical storage device which then transmits energy to wind the movement. The beauty of this patented mechanism allowing the clock to be functional in the dark. At the time, this patented technique was seen as revolutionary, Patek Philippe were seen as being able to “master the energy of light.”
Second series, and the present clock, beginning in 1970, dome clocks were produced with Quartz movement with a smaller solar panel that seemed to have a higher position on the dome, becoming even smaller in the 1990s.
Third series: The only dome series with cell battery movement. This has a smaller solar panel or no solar panel seen from 2007 onwards.
Elisabeth Perusset Lagger
Cloisonné Enamel
This timepiece was decorated by Elisabeth Perusset Lagger, a celebrated artist excelling in fine cloisonné enameling. Her work is predominantly known on Patek Philippe Dome clocks, the curved panels and dome presenting an extraordinary challenge mastered by only the most skillful artists. Towards the end of the 1940's, the Swiss watchmaking industry revived the technique of cloisonné enamel which had been used since the Byzantine period. This technique uses fine bands (filaments) of gold to outline the design subject, which are then soldered to the surface of a plate. The empty spaces are then filled with ground enamel and fired multiple times at varying temperatures between 700 and 900 degrees centigrade to achieve different colors. Patek Philippe's enamellers can take up to one year to complete such a dome clock and less than a handful can be complete each year at their workshops. The artistry had been perfected over the decades and the artists could eventually miniaturize it to be made on wristwatches seen only from 1949 at Basel.
The present clock, however, can be seen as even more impressive than most in its technique. The colors are extremely vibrant for the 70s, echoing those made earlier in the 50s. In the light, the orange of the sky has a gold/copper hue which is so radiant. Notably, black enamel is extremely hard to do in a faded sense but here it seems effortlessly applied, seen in the clouds, in the sails of the boats and also in the bricks of the castle.
L'Aventure de la Voile
Due to each clock being unique, demanding the skill and precision of the artists hand, most were commissioned by their owners to represent certain stories or favorite motifs. The present clock represents a unique story of its own, a tale of adventures on the seas where one can witness many exciting and often unexpected encounters. Perhaps this clock was commissioned by the original owner to remember a past trip, perhaps it came to him in a dream, perhaps he/she always longed for an adventure such as this. Whatever the reason, its tale is evoked with high precision. A detailed description below;
Left panel: A boat with flags, at a blue and green sea with fish and curled gold waves, Poseidon (mythological Greek god of the sea), and a tall castle
Central panel: Two boats further in the distance on rougher seas, larger and lower grey clouds casting shadow
Right panel: A larger boat, anchor, brighter green seas
Dome: A large deep red image that could possibly represent the sun, but also a compass. Also seen are sails of a boat, bags and barrels of booty, possible treasure or reward, a manuscript and scroll, possibly a map
A n interesting and notable feature of this clock is its dome, not only because of what it represents but also because of its texture. The dome is slightly uneven and seems to evoke the high and low tides of the ocean. Through the tale, technique, tone and texture we are willingly swept away to another world and able to enjoy a time that we may never have had the pleasure to experience before. This is the ultimate success for an artwork of this nature.
To the best of our knowledge the present clock has never before been offered in public.