196
Patek Philippe
Ref. 2526
Calatrava
An early, well-preserved and very rare yellow gold wristwatch with small seconds, enamel dial and Gay Frères bracelet
Full-Cataloguing
- Features a First Series enamel dial, wonderfully preserved.
- Offered with a Gay Frères bracelet confirmed by the Extract from the Archives
Launched in the 1950s, reference 2526 is historically significant as it is the first self-winding wristwatch crafted by the brand. It is powered by caliber 12-600 AT, the result of decades of research and development (undertaken while waiting for the Rolex patent on the rotor to expire), and is widely regarded as one of the most impressive automatic movements ever created by any watchmaker.
This example boasts an exquisite First Series enamel dial, defined by flared holes for each numeral, made to accommodate the feet of the numerals. A dauntingly costly procedure, it was partly abandoned in the Second Series in favor of glued indexes, and then altogether in the Third Series, which employs metal dials.
Enormously adding to its collectability and beauty, this watch features a Gay Frères brick bracelet, produced in the same year the watch was sold, and confirmed by the Extract from the Archives. Gay Frères is considered one of the finest bracelet makers of all time, working with many of the most prominent watchmakers. GF creations are now regarded as highly desirable collectibles on their own; when they appear as part of the original accessories for a watch, the appeal of the ensemble reaches stratospheric levels.
Patek Philippe
Swiss | 1839Since 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.