Manufacturer: Patek Philippe Year: 1913 Movement No: 177'522 Case No: 410'769 Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Manual, cal. 19''', 20 jewels Dimensions: 49.5mm. Diameter Signed: Case, dial and movement signed. Inner caseback further signed Fabrication Spéciale pour l'Horlogerie Eberhard, Milan Accessories: Accompanied by Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch in 1913 and its subsequent sale on July 15, 1925
Catalogue Essay
Whereas everything on the exterior of this pocket watch screams sophistication, elegance and exquisite style, the movement is novel and cutting edge, the equivalent of a race car engine at the time!
The beautifully preserved cuvette case is a perfect frame for a spectacularly graphic pink two-tone dial with polished center and outer rim whereas the ring bearing the Breguet numerals has a grené finish in powder pink. Right above the subseconds counter is the signature of Eberhard Milan, the prestigious Italian retailer that has retailed some of the most impressive watches of the 20th century.
The movement is an observatory grade movement bearing all the elements making it truly superior, it features a swan neck fine regulation, wolf’s tooth winding and a Guillaume Balance. Made of a steel and nickel alloy with anti-magnetic properties, the balance remains unaffected by varying temperatures. It is an invention that enabled its inventor, Charles-Edouard Guillaume, to win the Nobel Prize for physics in 1920. Furthermore, the movement is stamped twice with the prestigious Geneva Seal demonstrating its remarkable hand decoration and attention to details.
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.