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Lot Essay
To the best of our knowledge the present ref. 928 has never been offered in public before. It is preserved in generally very good overall condition, also still retaining the original presentation box.
Ref. 928 is from Patek Philippe's early series of table clocks fitted with a 17'''250 mechanical movement, electrically wound and powered through the solar cells. The movement features a conventional lever escapement wound by speed increasing gears activated approx. every 5 hours by an electric micro-motor which in return is powered by an accumulator charged by the photoelectric cells on top of the clock’s case.
The case of ref. 928 is distinguished by the finely engraved vertical lines to the external sides of the four corner pillars.
Watchmakers are always in quest of free sources of energy, the disadvantage of light however is that it is not available around the clock. Patek Philippe opened its Electronic Division in 1948 with the goal of exploring photoelectric, electronic, and nuclear timekeeping. The department produced the groundbreaking solar clock, the first of its kind.
In 1954, Patek Philippe patented its extraordinary photoelectric energy mechanism (Patent No. 298564). Photoelectric cells charged an accumulator which then powered a motor to wind a conventional Patek Philippe 17''' hand-wound pocket watch movement. With energy stored in either the accumulator or the movement spring, the firm claimed that the clock was capable of running in complete darkness for a year and with an accuracy of within one second per day.
A similar table clock is described and illustrated in Patek Philippe Museum - Patek Philippe Watches Vol. II, p. 399, Inv. PE-16.
Ref. 928 is from Patek Philippe's early series of table clocks fitted with a 17'''250 mechanical movement, electrically wound and powered through the solar cells. The movement features a conventional lever escapement wound by speed increasing gears activated approx. every 5 hours by an electric micro-motor which in return is powered by an accumulator charged by the photoelectric cells on top of the clock’s case.
The case of ref. 928 is distinguished by the finely engraved vertical lines to the external sides of the four corner pillars.
Watchmakers are always in quest of free sources of energy, the disadvantage of light however is that it is not available around the clock. Patek Philippe opened its Electronic Division in 1948 with the goal of exploring photoelectric, electronic, and nuclear timekeeping. The department produced the groundbreaking solar clock, the first of its kind.
In 1954, Patek Philippe patented its extraordinary photoelectric energy mechanism (Patent No. 298564). Photoelectric cells charged an accumulator which then powered a motor to wind a conventional Patek Philippe 17''' hand-wound pocket watch movement. With energy stored in either the accumulator or the movement spring, the firm claimed that the clock was capable of running in complete darkness for a year and with an accuracy of within one second per day.
A similar table clock is described and illustrated in Patek Philippe Museum - Patek Philippe Watches Vol. II, p. 399, Inv. PE-16.