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Patek Philippe. A fine and very rare 18K gold lorgnette with concealed keywound watch

Signed Patek Philippe & Co. à Genève, no. 3'922, manufactured in 1850

Details

Patek Philippe. A fine and very rare 18K gold lorgnette with concealed keywound watch
Signed Patek Philippe & Co. à Genève, no. 3'922, manufactured in 1850
Movement: manual, matte gilt, cylinder escapement, 8 jewels
Dial: white enamel with Roman numerals, blued steel Breguet hands
Case: entirely foliate engraved, spring-loaded cover opened by sliding a button in the handle, lorgnette with spring-loaded mechanism released by a button on the side
Signed: case and movement signed and numbered
Dimensions: 75 mm. length, 15 mm. width
With: Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming the lorgnette in yellow gold, enamel dial, cylinder escapement, date of manufacture in 1850 and its subsequent sale on 29th September 1860

Special notice

On lots marked with an + in the catalogue, VAT will be charged at 8% on both the premium as well as the hammer price.

Lot Essay

Very rare and unusual, this exquisite object de vertu is one of only approximately thirty lorgnette watches ever made by Patek Philippe. All were produced between the late 1840s and early 1850s in beautifully decorated cases with or without enamel, diamond or other decoration with a concealed watch beneath the spring-loaded cover. The specially shaped large rectangular movements used in these pieces are described in the archives as “for lorgnette” although they were also used in other objects incorporating watches. The ébauches were supplied by Audemars.
Other examples, including an almost identical lorgnette are in the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva and illustrated in: Patek Philippe Watches Volume I, Patek Philippe Museum, pp. 136-140.

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