Patek Philippe. A very rare and important 18K gold split seconds chronograph wristwatch with two-tone pulsation dial and screw back case
Prospective purchasers are advised that several co… Read more
Patek Philippe. A very rare and important 18K gold split seconds chronograph wristwatch with two-tone pulsation dial and screw back case

SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENÈVE, REF. 1563, MOVEMENT NO. 862'420, CASE NO. 630'552, MOVEMENT MANUFACTURED IN 1940, UPGRADED WITH THE PRESENT CASE IN 1943

Details
Patek Philippe. A very rare and important 18K gold split seconds chronograph wristwatch with two-tone pulsation dial and screw back case
Signed Patek Philippe, Genève, ref. 1563, movement no. 862'420, case no. 630'552, movement manufactured in 1940, upgraded with the present case in 1943
Cal. 13''' nickel-finished jewelled lever movement stamped twice with the Geneva seal, metal dust cap, two-tone silvered dial, applied gold baton and Arabic numerals, outer railway five minute divisions and scale calibrated for 15 pulsations, two subsidiary dials for constant seconds and 30 minutes register, circular water-resistant-type case, screw back, two round chronograph buttons in the band, 18K gold Patek Philippe buckle, case, dial and movement signed
35 mm. diam.
Literature
Prominently illustrated and described in Patek Philippe Complicated Wrist Watches by Paolo de Vecchi & Giorgio Gregato, pp. 42 & 43.
Special notice
Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

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Lot Essay

With Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch with pulsometre scale in 1940 and its subsequent sale on 19 July 1941. The Extract further states that the original case was replaced by the case bearing the number 630'552 during a servicing in the Patek Philippe workshops in 1943.

Few complicated Patek Philippe wristwatch references are so rare like the mythical reference 1563. Whereas one must admit that its case design is very much reproducing the proportions of Patek Philippe's well-known reference 1463, and its movement functions those of the sophisticated 13 lignes split seconds calibre normally found on reference 1436, it is the combination of the water-resistant case highlighted by the round pushers and the "chronographe rattrapante" mechanism which make all the difference to the connoisseur collector. As a matter of fact, until to date, only three references 1563 are known publicly.

Reference 1563 has also come to international fame thanks to the fact that one of the three examples (movement 863'791, case 630'551) belonged to no one lesser than the world famous jazz legend Duke Ellington. The watch was sold at auction in 2002 following one of the fiercest bidding frenzies and can be admired today in Geneva's prestigious Patek Philippe Museum. Interestingly, Ellington's reference 1563 carries the precedent case number of the present watch. Naturally, it doesn't surprise that for many collectors, all references 1563 are now referred to as the "Duke Ellington chronograph model".

The present reference 1563 was a new discovery in 1992, nearly twenty years ago, when it was sold at public auction for the so far first and only time. The catalogue note of the time explains in detail how the movement started life in 1940 in a reference 1436 case, was sold in June 1941 to its first owner, and then in 1943 upgraded, by his request, to its current specifications. Most importantly, this genesis is mentioned to be confirmed by a certificate which, regrettably, has probably been lost since. However, Patek Philippe's Extract from the Archives confirms once more that the watch was made to its actual typology, including the pulsation dial, at their workshops in 1943.

The two-tone dial has homogenically aged with wonderful tones of beige and subtle rose. The pulsation scale is printed against a more silvery background which is impressively contrasting to the centre and lending it the ever so beautiful two-tone appeal. The case is full with very good definition, the hallmark in the band is as well preserved as the spoilt collector could hope for.

This unique "pulsation 1563" has not been on the market for nearly two decades and is now coming from one of the world's finest Patek Philippe wristwatch collection. This provenance paired with fabulous looks and Switzerland's finest engineering render it a must for any lover of horological masterpieces. Only an exceedingly small number of collector's wristwatches truly constitute rare opportunities for the passionate connoisseur. However, when one considers that of this model only three examples have appeared in 30 years of auctions and that this is one of two to have remained in private hands, it is not an overstatement when using these words to describe this fact.

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