.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
REF. 542 HU, – ONE OF THE GREAT EARLY VINTAGE PATEK PHILIPPE WORLD TIME WRISTWATCHES
Today, a small number of wristwatches stand at the very highest level, without question regarded as great 20th century works of art and as important milestones in the evolution of wristwatch complications as we know them today. Additionally, they have the added fascination of being both highly portable and entirely functional. Christie’s is therefore delighted to be able to offer to international collectors this highly important and immensely rare reference 542 HU World Time wristwatch, of which approximately five examples are thought to have been made. After enjoying almost three decades as one of the undoubted major highlights of the John Shaw collection, it is now ready for the next chapter in its illustrious history.
Patek Philippe’s world time wristwatches have become a cornerstone of the company’s production and one of the most desired models of all by collectors. Early examples such as the present watch are historically important and can be regarded as a form of prototype, as some of the first steps in the development of wristwatches using the now famous world time system invented by the Geneva watchmaker Louis Cottier. Reference 542 HU has the distinction of being the smallest World Time wristwatch ever made by Patek Philippe. Precursors to the great references 1415 and 2523, the four recorded examples of reference 542 HU cannot be regarded as production models, indicated by the fact that each example is fitted with a different movement base and bridges. Although sold in 1938, the base movement of the present watch was in fact manufactured in 1929, before the invention of Cottier’s World Time system. It, along with the movements of the other known reference 542 HUs were specially adapted beneath the dial by Louis Cottier himself with the Heures Universelles function, unquestionably one of the most significant advances in watchmaking made during the 20th century.
The cases for reference 542 HU were made by the master Geneva case maker Wenger in three parts, including the revolving bezel engraved and enamelled by Stern Frères with the names of 30 or 31 cities. Two of the four publicly known watches including the present watch include the city of ‘Cape Town’ on the bezel below ‘Berlin’, the third watch, now in the collection of the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, and the fourth watch (Known only from an archive photograph) do not include ‘Cape Town’ but instead feature ‘Rome’ above ‘Berlin’. According to research, two of the cases, the present watch, no. 821’239, and no. 823’542, one made in pink gold, the other in yellow, were delivered together. The other two, no. 818’200 (now Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva), and no. 818’180 (whereabouts unknown), were delivered separately.
The dial, also by Stern Frères features the correct pre-1948 ‘long’ Patek Philippe & Co. signature and distinctive revolving 24-hour ring indicating daytime and nighttime hours designed by Cottier.
Of the approximately five known examples thought to have been made, four are recorded and the whereabouts of only three reference 542 HU are known today:
Movement no. 818’180, Case no. unknown - Whereabouts unknown
Movement no, 818’200, Case no. 295’194 – Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva.
Movement no. 821’239, Case no. 618’276 – THE PRESENT WATCH
Movement no. 823’542, Case no. 618’277 – Private Collection
With slightly differing city names, reference 542 HU is the very closely related ancestor to the famous production reference 1415 HU, indeed the only main difference is the use of a 10’’’ movement and 28 mm. diameter case with bolder straight ‘Brancard’ lugs as opposed to reference 1415’s 12’’’ movement and 27 mm. diameter case with teardrop lugs.
Provenance:
Sotheby’s New York, 1989
Antiquorum Geneva, 20 October 1991, lot 193
Antiquorum Geneva, 17 October 1993, lot 431
Christie’s Geneva, 18 May 1998, lot 248 (illustrated on the front cover of the catalogue)
Louis Cottier (1894-1966) was born in Carouge, the son of Emmanuel Cottier, also a watchmaker. Louis Cottier opened his own workshop in Carouge as an independent maker of watches, wristwatches and small clocks. He was evidently well known and respected enough that the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf engaged him to restore and service his own collection. Cottier was interested in and experimented with unusual forms of timekeeping mechanisms and displays including jumping digital hours and the like. However, the invention that was to eventually make his name came in 1931 when he invented the “Heure Universelle” (World Time) mechanism. The first world time watch was produced for the jeweller Baszanger and the system was also adopted by several makers including Agassiz, most famously Patek Philippe with references 605, 1415 and 2523, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin. In the 1950s, Louis Cottier upgraded the original mechanism by the addition of a second crown to make the practical use of the complication easier. Research indicates that only approximately 455 movements were supplied for wristwatches, pocket watches and clocks by Cottier, indisputably one of the most important Swiss watchmakers of the 20th century.
Today, a small number of wristwatches stand at the very highest level, without question regarded as great 20th century works of art and as important milestones in the evolution of wristwatch complications as we know them today. Additionally, they have the added fascination of being both highly portable and entirely functional. Christie’s is therefore delighted to be able to offer to international collectors this highly important and immensely rare reference 542 HU World Time wristwatch, of which approximately five examples are thought to have been made. After enjoying almost three decades as one of the undoubted major highlights of the John Shaw collection, it is now ready for the next chapter in its illustrious history.
Patek Philippe’s world time wristwatches have become a cornerstone of the company’s production and one of the most desired models of all by collectors. Early examples such as the present watch are historically important and can be regarded as a form of prototype, as some of the first steps in the development of wristwatches using the now famous world time system invented by the Geneva watchmaker Louis Cottier. Reference 542 HU has the distinction of being the smallest World Time wristwatch ever made by Patek Philippe. Precursors to the great references 1415 and 2523, the four recorded examples of reference 542 HU cannot be regarded as production models, indicated by the fact that each example is fitted with a different movement base and bridges. Although sold in 1938, the base movement of the present watch was in fact manufactured in 1929, before the invention of Cottier’s World Time system. It, along with the movements of the other known reference 542 HUs were specially adapted beneath the dial by Louis Cottier himself with the Heures Universelles function, unquestionably one of the most significant advances in watchmaking made during the 20th century.
The cases for reference 542 HU were made by the master Geneva case maker Wenger in three parts, including the revolving bezel engraved and enamelled by Stern Frères with the names of 30 or 31 cities. Two of the four publicly known watches including the present watch include the city of ‘Cape Town’ on the bezel below ‘Berlin’, the third watch, now in the collection of the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, and the fourth watch (Known only from an archive photograph) do not include ‘Cape Town’ but instead feature ‘Rome’ above ‘Berlin’. According to research, two of the cases, the present watch, no. 821’239, and no. 823’542, one made in pink gold, the other in yellow, were delivered together. The other two, no. 818’200 (now Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva), and no. 818’180 (whereabouts unknown), were delivered separately.
The dial, also by Stern Frères features the correct pre-1948 ‘long’ Patek Philippe & Co. signature and distinctive revolving 24-hour ring indicating daytime and nighttime hours designed by Cottier.
Of the approximately five known examples thought to have been made, four are recorded and the whereabouts of only three reference 542 HU are known today:
Movement no. 818’180, Case no. unknown - Whereabouts unknown
Movement no, 818’200, Case no. 295’194 – Patek Philippe Museum, Geneva.
Movement no. 821’239, Case no. 618’276 – THE PRESENT WATCH
Movement no. 823’542, Case no. 618’277 – Private Collection
With slightly differing city names, reference 542 HU is the very closely related ancestor to the famous production reference 1415 HU, indeed the only main difference is the use of a 10’’’ movement and 28 mm. diameter case with bolder straight ‘Brancard’ lugs as opposed to reference 1415’s 12’’’ movement and 27 mm. diameter case with teardrop lugs.
Provenance:
Sotheby’s New York, 1989
Antiquorum Geneva, 20 October 1991, lot 193
Antiquorum Geneva, 17 October 1993, lot 431
Christie’s Geneva, 18 May 1998, lot 248 (illustrated on the front cover of the catalogue)
Louis Cottier (1894-1966) was born in Carouge, the son of Emmanuel Cottier, also a watchmaker. Louis Cottier opened his own workshop in Carouge as an independent maker of watches, wristwatches and small clocks. He was evidently well known and respected enough that the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf engaged him to restore and service his own collection. Cottier was interested in and experimented with unusual forms of timekeeping mechanisms and displays including jumping digital hours and the like. However, the invention that was to eventually make his name came in 1931 when he invented the “Heure Universelle” (World Time) mechanism. The first world time watch was produced for the jeweller Baszanger and the system was also adopted by several makers including Agassiz, most famously Patek Philippe with references 605, 1415 and 2523, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin. In the 1950s, Louis Cottier upgraded the original mechanism by the addition of a second crown to make the practical use of the complication easier. Research indicates that only approximately 455 movements were supplied for wristwatches, pocket watches and clocks by Cottier, indisputably one of the most important Swiss watchmakers of the 20th century.