Following World War II, modern society’s sensibilities moved away from the conventional and toward a new spirit of mid-century modernism featuring innovations in design and architecture. Commercial air travel came in to its golden age and the jet-set looked to distinguish themselves with cutting edge and unexpected designs. This lovely and possibly unique “Asymétrie” wristwatch from 1958 is today considered a classic example of this new avant-garde age. The Swiss designer Gilbert Albert joined Patek Philippe in 1955. As a young artisan in their design department, he created some of the brand’s most unique and innovative cases. Gilbert Albert took his inspiration from his passion for modern art, and most notably the works of Brancusi and Mondrian. The bold yet simple designs of Albert's cases are in many ways revolutionary and unconventional, but are still considered as cutting-edge today as they were 60 years ago.

The present watch belongs to the famous “Asymétrie” collection of asymmetrical timepieces. While some of Albert’s modern designs never went beyond the prototype stage due to the uncertainty of their commercial success, the reference 3424 was produced in an extremely limited number. Henri Stern, then chairman of Patek Philippe, was seduced by the case design and approved its manufacture. According to our research only a handful of the present reference in white gold have appeared in public, however each were fitted with dials featuring black sector lines. The present watch is the only known example in white gold to feature black “baton” indexes. Almost 60 years after its creation, reference 3424 looks as modern and avant-garde as when it was originally launched. This iconic watch will surely appeal to any collector of unconventional watches, as well as fans of contemporary art and design.

The present watch was the property of celebrated American architectural photographer and magazine publisher Walter G. Ashworth. A lover of motorcycles, of design and timepieces, he started collecting in the mid-1970s. The present lot was originally offered for sale at Sotheby's New York on June 20, 2000 when Mr Ashworth offered part of his collection for sale, a collection of varied brands and styles but with one common denominator: impeccable condition.