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拍品專文
Highly unusual and a great rarity among Patek Philippe timepieces, the present watch is, according to research, the largest and earliest example of only three known watches of this type made by the firm in the 19th century. Christened the ‘half-skeleton’, it has the extraordinary feature of a rock crystal dial, fully confirmed by the Extract from the Archives.
Up until as late as the 1970s and 1980s, Patek Philippe made only a tiny number of similar timepieces. Indeed, only two other ‘half-skeleton’ watches with rock crystal dials dating from before 1900 are known publicly. Both those watches have small-size 12 ligne movements, therefore, the present watch has great added significance in having a large 19 ligne movement. To date it is the largest known example of these highly individual timepieces and quite possibly unique in this regard.
Another fascinating aspect is the 1888 London hallmarked case and maker’s mark JW which indicates that the watch was sold to the English market. The Extract from the Archives tells us that it left Patek Philippe’s manufacture with an 18K yellow gold case with knurled caseband. The Extract also states that “the engravings on the case back are not mentioned in our archives”, this information, when combined with the date of hallmarking of the case, shows that the English owner had the case remade to his own specifications, some 20 years after the date of its sale from Patek Philippe.
This important watch affords Patek Philippe collectors the almost certainly one-off opportunity to acquire a significant rarity from the first 30 years of the company’s production.
A fully skeletonized watch with rock crystal case, manufactured in 1928-29, is in the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. See: Patek Philippe Watches Vol. II, Patek Philippe Museum, 2013, p. 113.
We are grateful to Eric Tortella for his assistance and study in researching this watch.
Up until as late as the 1970s and 1980s, Patek Philippe made only a tiny number of similar timepieces. Indeed, only two other ‘half-skeleton’ watches with rock crystal dials dating from before 1900 are known publicly. Both those watches have small-size 12 ligne movements, therefore, the present watch has great added significance in having a large 19 ligne movement. To date it is the largest known example of these highly individual timepieces and quite possibly unique in this regard.
Another fascinating aspect is the 1888 London hallmarked case and maker’s mark JW which indicates that the watch was sold to the English market. The Extract from the Archives tells us that it left Patek Philippe’s manufacture with an 18K yellow gold case with knurled caseband. The Extract also states that “the engravings on the case back are not mentioned in our archives”, this information, when combined with the date of hallmarking of the case, shows that the English owner had the case remade to his own specifications, some 20 years after the date of its sale from Patek Philippe.
This important watch affords Patek Philippe collectors the almost certainly one-off opportunity to acquire a significant rarity from the first 30 years of the company’s production.
A fully skeletonized watch with rock crystal case, manufactured in 1928-29, is in the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. See: Patek Philippe Watches Vol. II, Patek Philippe Museum, 2013, p. 113.
We are grateful to Eric Tortella for his assistance and study in researching this watch.