Patek Philippe - Double Signed: A Celebration of the Finest Partnerships of Manufacturers and Retailers Geneva Friday, November 8, 2019 | Phillips
  • Manufacturer: Patek Philippe
    Year: 1961
    Reference No: 2597
    Movement No: 729'426
    Case No: 310'500
    Material: 18K yellow gold
    Calibre: Manual, cal. 12'''400 HS, 18 jewels, stamped HOX
    Bracelet/Strap: Leather
    Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe pin buckle
    Dimensions: 35mm. Diameter
    Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed, dial further signed Tiffany & Co., inventory number beneath the lug
    Accessories: Accompanied by Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming year of manufacture in 1961, and its subsequent sale on February 20th of the same year.

  • Catalogue Essay

    An exceedingly rare and well-preserved example, this reference 2597 was retailed by the famed jeweler Tiffany & Co. While the prestigious retailer's signature can be found at 12 o'clock, the upper left lug also displays a hand-etched number that is most probably an internal Tiffany & Co. inventory number. The dial has aged beautifully with time and now displays a warm champagne shade. Furthermore, the raised, hard enamel print is fully intact throughout.

    The case is preserved in excellent condition, with two crisp hallmarks. Displaying strong proportions with downturned lugs, there is also slight oxidation around the case pushers with a pleasing rainbow colored patina, indicative that the watch has hardly seen any wear in recent years.

    Reference 2597 was made in two versions; first generation models, such as the present lot, featured an independently adjustable hour hand. The pushers on the left side of the case are used for advancing or setting back the hour hand in one-hour increments. The second version, launched in 1962, featured an additional hour hand.

    To date, no more than two examples of reference 2597 have appeared on the market with this storied retailer's signature, underscoring the absolute rarity of the present timepiece. Furthermore, the movement bridge of the present watch is stamped HOX indicating export to the American market, which is fitting considering the Tiffany & Co. signature on the dial.

    The 1950s and 1960s were the Golden Age of jet flight, with travel times around the globe reduced from days to hours, and for the international jet-set, airplanes became the preferred mode of travel. The immediacy of air travel created a need for pilots and travelers to tell time both locally and at home. Patek Philippe patented Louis Cottier's “Time Zone Watch” system in 1959. The calibre 12’’’400 HS (heures sautantes or jumping hours) was an elegant and ingenious design, which helped the firm create an iconic mid-century wristwatch that demonstrated the exuberance of the new modern era.

  • Artist Biography

    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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Ref. 2597
A extremely rare and well-preserved yellow gold traveller's wristwatch with separately adjustable hour hand

1961
35mm. Diameter
Case, dial, movement and buckle signed, dial further signed Tiffany & Co., inventory number beneath the lug

Estimate
CHF70,000 - 140,000 
€64,100-128,000
$70,300-141,000

Sold for CHF81,250

Contact Specialist
Virginie Liatard-Roessli
Specialist, Head of Sale
+41 76 338 91 03
vliatard@phillips.com

Double Signed: A Celebration of the Finest Partnerships of Manufacturers and Retailers

Geneva Auction 9 November 2019