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Lot Essay
This extraordinary salmon dial reference 5059G-018 is the first example ever to be offered at auction and can be considered one of the most important individual watches of the reference 5059. It is exceptional not only for its incredibly rare and rich salmon-coloured dial with raised gold Roman numerals, but also as the only known example of any reference 5059 in which the movement bears Patek Philippe’s ‘PP’ certification of excellence mark on its movement instead of the traditional ‘Geneva seal’ found on all other known examples.
The salmon dial version of any rare timepiece is always among the most desirable of dial colours, this reference 5059G-018 is thought to have been made in only five examples of which the present watch is the first to be offered for sale publicly.
According to the foremost Patek Philippe scholars, the present watch is the only known example of reference 5059 with its movement bearing the Patek Philippe of ‘PP’ seal of excellence instead of the earlier ‘Geneva Seal’ stamp. The Geneva Seal, or ‘Poinçon de Genève’, has for many decades been considered the ultimate standard in watchmaking. However, it only controlled the standard of finishing and decoration of the watch movement. Testing for precision was an optional part of achieving the Geneva Seal. Thus in 2009, Patek Philippe decided to create their own ‘PP Seal’ standard of excellence which covered almost ever aspect of the watch, up to and including, the ownership experience. In 2012, the criteria for the Geneva Seal were upgraded in response.
Reference 5059
Introduced in 1998, it was the first serially produced perpetual calendar wristwatch with retrograde date to be made by Patek Philippe. It was also the first model since the legendary reference 2497 and 2438-1 to have a sweep centre seconds on a perpetual calendar watch. The model is distinctive for its ‘officier’ style case with elongated lugs with screwed bars and hinged back and display cuvette. The movement is the automatic caliber 315 with 21K gold rotor, the fascinating retrograde date function is part of the perpetual calendar mechanism whereby at the end of each month the date hand instantly ‘flies’ back to 1.
The salmon dial version of any rare timepiece is always among the most desirable of dial colours, this reference 5059G-018 is thought to have been made in only five examples of which the present watch is the first to be offered for sale publicly.
According to the foremost Patek Philippe scholars, the present watch is the only known example of reference 5059 with its movement bearing the Patek Philippe of ‘PP’ seal of excellence instead of the earlier ‘Geneva Seal’ stamp. The Geneva Seal, or ‘Poinçon de Genève’, has for many decades been considered the ultimate standard in watchmaking. However, it only controlled the standard of finishing and decoration of the watch movement. Testing for precision was an optional part of achieving the Geneva Seal. Thus in 2009, Patek Philippe decided to create their own ‘PP Seal’ standard of excellence which covered almost ever aspect of the watch, up to and including, the ownership experience. In 2012, the criteria for the Geneva Seal were upgraded in response.
Reference 5059
Introduced in 1998, it was the first serially produced perpetual calendar wristwatch with retrograde date to be made by Patek Philippe. It was also the first model since the legendary reference 2497 and 2438-1 to have a sweep centre seconds on a perpetual calendar watch. The model is distinctive for its ‘officier’ style case with elongated lugs with screwed bars and hinged back and display cuvette. The movement is the automatic caliber 315 with 21K gold rotor, the fascinating retrograde date function is part of the perpetual calendar mechanism whereby at the end of each month the date hand instantly ‘flies’ back to 1.