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拍品专文
With a diameter of 24.5 mm., this remarkable miniature minute repeater is the smallest so far known to have been made by Patek Philippe, it is possibly the smallest ever made by the company. Incredibly, this extraordinarily tiny watch is entirely fresh to the market and has remained publicly unknown since its manufacture in 1887-1888. An extremely exciting discovery and new addition to the known historic 19th century complicated watches of Patek Philippe, it is most fittingly described in the words of the former Director of the Patek Philippe Museum, Arnaud Tellier; “This ‘miniature’ watch is one of Patek Philippe’s greatest achievements of the 19th century. It was and remains one of the masterpieces of the Genevan manufacture!”
The Smallest Known Patek Philippe Minute Repeater, movement no. 80’216, case no. 200’247
The calibres size 14’’’ and under are considered as ‘miniature’ because of the extreme difficulty and cost to produce them compared to the larger sizes. The earliest one identified is movement number 13’577, a 14’’’ movement made in 1859. According to Patek Philippe’s literature, their first minute repeater was made in 1845, movement number 1172, an ébauche supplied by Leroy and finished by Patek. Patek Philippe produced around 3’600 minute repeater mechanisms in total and it was one of the company’s specialties. Until 1900, they were mostly hunter cased. After 1900, the trend went to more and more to open faced watches.
The present pendant-watch was made in 1888 and sold on December 19, 1888. Its movement is 9’’’, with a straight-line lever escapement. Its case, in 18k yellow gold, is of the ‘Bassine’-type. This piece therefore predates the two younger sisters presented in 1896 at the Swiss National Exhibition held in Geneva. This was the most important industrial and artistic exhibition ever organised in the Swiss Confederation. It was not until 1914 and the Swiss National Exhibition in Bern that such an event was held again.
This piece is to this day the oldest known ‘miniature’ watch with a horological complication from the manufacture, a feat repeated only once, with the 9’’’ watch of 1896. Without access to the Manufacture’s establishment books, it is difficult to attribute the movement’s authorship. Is it a LeCoultre of Le Sentier (Vallée de Joux) or a Piguet of Le Brassus (Vallée de Joux) ébauche (blank movement) or a Patek Philippe ébauche?. The question remains open.
A curious thing to note is the signature of the movement in Spanish: “PATEK, PHILIPPE / Y CA / GINEBRA”. This calligraphy is of the utmost rarity. One has to go back to the early years of the manufacture to find signatures in foreign languages, notably in Polish. This watch is therefore probably a special order from a wealthy Spanish or Latin American (Hispanic America, Caribbean, Central and South America) customer. In any case, this ‘miniature’ watch is one of Patek Philippe’s greatest achievements of the 19th century. It was and remains one of the masterpieces of the Genevan manufacture!.
The Dial
The 20mm dial was made to the highest standard of the period, on a brass alloy base, white enamel background, with black enamel Roman numerals for the hours and gilt (painting containing gold) outer minutes scale. The signature, the circle inside the hours circumference and then minute scale, outer, were also painted with black enamel. The enamel white surface has some hairlines, but without any repair, on the top right between the XI and II hour markers. The Louis XV style pieced hands were obviously made by hand and are especially fine and precisely shaped. The dial looks absolutely original to the watch and is properly signed.
The Case
The 24.5mm diameter four-part case, with snap-on bezel and hinged back with further hinged cuvette, weights 8.5 grams in total. As stated by the Extract from the Archives, the present case was changed in Patek Philippe’s workshops in 1889. It shows the normal polishing and wear of a watch of this age yet still retains the original proportions. The sliding trigger on the band, to action the repeating, is all original and perfectly moving. All parts of the case seem to be original.
The Movement
The gilt finished brass and steel 9’’’ Lecoultre (20.3mm) or Piguet calibre, is one of the smallest minute repeating quality movements ever
made, furthermore by Patek Philippe. It was undoubtedly an incredible challenge to miniaturise the entire repeating mechanism. At the time of inspection, the watch was ticking and the minute repeating was functioning.
We are grateful to Eric Tortella and Arnaud Tellier for their assistance and study in researching this watch.
Similar watches are published in: Patek Philippe Museum, by Patek Philippe, 2014 edition, volume 1, pp. 224, 228 to 231, 234 and 237. Small minute repeater pocket watches are illustrated in: Patek Philippe Pocket watches” by M. Huber & A. Banbery, 1982, pp. 217 to 220.
The Smallest Known Patek Philippe Minute Repeater, movement no. 80’216, case no. 200’247
The calibres size 14’’’ and under are considered as ‘miniature’ because of the extreme difficulty and cost to produce them compared to the larger sizes. The earliest one identified is movement number 13’577, a 14’’’ movement made in 1859. According to Patek Philippe’s literature, their first minute repeater was made in 1845, movement number 1172, an ébauche supplied by Leroy and finished by Patek. Patek Philippe produced around 3’600 minute repeater mechanisms in total and it was one of the company’s specialties. Until 1900, they were mostly hunter cased. After 1900, the trend went to more and more to open faced watches.
The present pendant-watch was made in 1888 and sold on December 19, 1888. Its movement is 9’’’, with a straight-line lever escapement. Its case, in 18k yellow gold, is of the ‘Bassine’-type. This piece therefore predates the two younger sisters presented in 1896 at the Swiss National Exhibition held in Geneva. This was the most important industrial and artistic exhibition ever organised in the Swiss Confederation. It was not until 1914 and the Swiss National Exhibition in Bern that such an event was held again.
This piece is to this day the oldest known ‘miniature’ watch with a horological complication from the manufacture, a feat repeated only once, with the 9’’’ watch of 1896. Without access to the Manufacture’s establishment books, it is difficult to attribute the movement’s authorship. Is it a LeCoultre of Le Sentier (Vallée de Joux) or a Piguet of Le Brassus (Vallée de Joux) ébauche (blank movement) or a Patek Philippe ébauche?. The question remains open.
A curious thing to note is the signature of the movement in Spanish: “PATEK, PHILIPPE / Y CA / GINEBRA”. This calligraphy is of the utmost rarity. One has to go back to the early years of the manufacture to find signatures in foreign languages, notably in Polish. This watch is therefore probably a special order from a wealthy Spanish or Latin American (Hispanic America, Caribbean, Central and South America) customer. In any case, this ‘miniature’ watch is one of Patek Philippe’s greatest achievements of the 19th century. It was and remains one of the masterpieces of the Genevan manufacture!.
The Dial
The 20mm dial was made to the highest standard of the period, on a brass alloy base, white enamel background, with black enamel Roman numerals for the hours and gilt (painting containing gold) outer minutes scale. The signature, the circle inside the hours circumference and then minute scale, outer, were also painted with black enamel. The enamel white surface has some hairlines, but without any repair, on the top right between the XI and II hour markers. The Louis XV style pieced hands were obviously made by hand and are especially fine and precisely shaped. The dial looks absolutely original to the watch and is properly signed.
The Case
The 24.5mm diameter four-part case, with snap-on bezel and hinged back with further hinged cuvette, weights 8.5 grams in total. As stated by the Extract from the Archives, the present case was changed in Patek Philippe’s workshops in 1889. It shows the normal polishing and wear of a watch of this age yet still retains the original proportions. The sliding trigger on the band, to action the repeating, is all original and perfectly moving. All parts of the case seem to be original.
The Movement
The gilt finished brass and steel 9’’’ Lecoultre (20.3mm) or Piguet calibre, is one of the smallest minute repeating quality movements ever
made, furthermore by Patek Philippe. It was undoubtedly an incredible challenge to miniaturise the entire repeating mechanism. At the time of inspection, the watch was ticking and the minute repeating was functioning.
We are grateful to Eric Tortella and Arnaud Tellier for their assistance and study in researching this watch.
Similar watches are published in: Patek Philippe Museum, by Patek Philippe, 2014 edition, volume 1, pp. 224, 228 to 231, 234 and 237. Small minute repeater pocket watches are illustrated in: Patek Philippe Pocket watches” by M. Huber & A. Banbery, 1982, pp. 217 to 220.