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820

Patek Philippe

Ref. 866/54

“Lord Rivers and his friends – J.L. Agasse”

A unique, exceptionally fine and well-preserved yellow gold pocket watch with miniature enamel by Suzanne Rohr reproducing the painting “Lord Rivers and his friends” after Jacques-Laurent Agasse and Extract from the Archives—freshly unsealed from factory service-sealed condition

Estimate
HK$1,000,000 - 2,000,000
€111,000 - 221,000
$128,000 - 256,000
HK$1,905,000
Lot Details
Manufacturer
Patek Philippe
Year
1975
Reference No
866/54
Movement No
932’434
Case No
433’673
Model Name
“Lord Rivers and his friends – J.L. Agasse”
Material
18K yellow gold
Calibre
Manual, cal, 17-170, 18 jewels
Dimensions
47mm diameter
Signed
Case, dial and movement signed
Accessories
Delivered with Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present timepiece in 1975 and its subsequent sale on in January 1981.
Catalogue Essay
The present ref. 866/54 pocket watch, is adorned with a miniature enamel of exceptional pedigree, executed by none other than Suzanne Rohr, revered as one of the greatest enamelers of the 20th century.

Proficient in every technique but most celebrated for her cloisonné and miniature enamels, she worked exclusively for Patek Philippe from 1967 until her retirement in 2016. Over a career spanning nearly half a century, her production scarcely exceeded 100 pieces—an average of just two per year. This rarity, together with her unparalleled craftsmanship, has ensured that Rohr‑decorated watches are among the most coveted treasures of the house. The importance of her oeuvre is underscored by the Patek Philippe Museum, which proudly holds 26 of her works—about one‑quarter of her lifetime output.

Commissioned early in her career, signed “S. Rohr 1975” at the bottom right corner, the present enamel caseback demonstrates Rohr’s precocious mastery. It reproduces “Lord Rivers and his Friends” by Jacques‑Laurent Agasse, a celebrated animal and landscape painter of the early 19th century. The subject itself is steeped in rich artistic and aristocratic history. Lord Rivers (George Pitt, later Baron Rivers) was a prominent London aristocrat, friend of the Prince of Wales, and one of Agasse’s most loyal patrons. Having met in Geneva in the 1790s, Lord Rivers invited Agasse to England and commissioned numerous works, particularly of his beloved horses and greyhounds. Through Rivers’s patronage, Agasse established his reputation as one of the era’s foremost animal and landscape painters.

Offered in exceptional condition with its Extract from the Archives, this pocket watch was in the collection of the present owner for nearly 20 years. Recently unsealed from its factory service-sealed condition, this pocket watch embodies the highest synthesis of art and watchmaking and represents a rare opportunity for the most discerning connoisseurs to acquire a one-of-a-kind piece where history, craftsmanship, and beauty converge.

Patek Philippe

Swiss | 1839
Since its founding in 1839, this famous Geneva-based firm has been surprising its clientele with superbly crafted timepieces fitted with watchmaking's most prestigious complications. Traditional and conservative designs are found across Patek Philippe's watches made throughout their history — the utmost in understated elegance.Well-known for the Graves Supercomplication — a highly complicated pocket watch that was the world’s most complicated watch for 50 years — this family-owned brand has earned a reputation of excellence around the world. Patek's complicated vintage watches hold the highest number of world records for results achieved at auction compared with any other brand. For collectors, key models include the reference 1518, the world's first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph, and its successor, the reference 2499. Other famous models include perpetual calendars such as the ref. 1526, ref. 3448 and 3450, chronographs such as the reference 130, 530 and 1463, as well as reference 1436 and 1563 split seconds chronographs. Patek is also well-known for their classically styled, time-only "Calatrava" dress watches, and the "Nautilus," an iconic luxury sports watch first introduced in 1976 as the reference 3700 that is still in production today.
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