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Lot Essay
Dating from 1880, this intriguing watch is an extremely rare and perhaps unique example of one of Patek Philippe's early perpetual calendar watches. Its most immediately evident characteristics are the absence of a moon phase indication, or months and leap-year indications that are usually found in these timepieces, either in the form of a fourth subsidiary dial or combined with a calendar indication or constant seconds. It is also highly unusual to find this combination of complications in a Patek Philippe pocket watch without the additional function of minute repeating. Moreover, the present timepiece is believed to be the only one of its type known to exist featuring the additional function of a chronograph.
Between 1862 and 1934 only 35 perpetual calendar watches are known to have been made by Patek Philippe. The company first incorporated a perpetual calendar module into a watch in 1862 (no. 20’953), however, the watchmaker’s main patent for this important complication was not granted until 1889. Dating to 1880, the present timepiece is therefore a fascinating ‘pre-patent’ perpetual calendar from the period following Patek Philippe’s first use of the perpetual calendar mechanism in a pocket watch, but before the first patent for this complication was filed.
Of the few perpetual calendar watches produced between 1862 and 1889, almost all differ from one another, serving to demonstrate the on-going experimentation of Patek Philippe’s watchmakers during this key period. Indeed, this evolution is illustrated by the very different manner in which Patek Philippe executed no. 62’503 (the present timepiece), and 62’504, two consecutively numbered perpetual calendar chronographs that were both manufactured in 1880. Both watches are without minute repeating but the calendar work is executed differently on each piece and the dial indications, apart from the subsidiary seconds, are placed differently. The present timepiece, despite being a perpetual calendar, has no month indication and no moon phases. No. 62’504 is of more conventional appearance featuring both moon phases and month indications.
Between 1862 and 1934 only 35 perpetual calendar watches are known to have been made by Patek Philippe. The company first incorporated a perpetual calendar module into a watch in 1862 (no. 20’953), however, the watchmaker’s main patent for this important complication was not granted until 1889. Dating to 1880, the present timepiece is therefore a fascinating ‘pre-patent’ perpetual calendar from the period following Patek Philippe’s first use of the perpetual calendar mechanism in a pocket watch, but before the first patent for this complication was filed.
Of the few perpetual calendar watches produced between 1862 and 1889, almost all differ from one another, serving to demonstrate the on-going experimentation of Patek Philippe’s watchmakers during this key period. Indeed, this evolution is illustrated by the very different manner in which Patek Philippe executed no. 62’503 (the present timepiece), and 62’504, two consecutively numbered perpetual calendar chronographs that were both manufactured in 1880. Both watches are without minute repeating but the calendar work is executed differently on each piece and the dial indications, apart from the subsidiary seconds, are placed differently. The present timepiece, despite being a perpetual calendar, has no month indication and no moon phases. No. 62’504 is of more conventional appearance featuring both moon phases and month indications.