Manufacturer: Patek Philippe Year: 1993 Reference No: 5050 Movement No: 1’957’083 Case No: 2’947’167 Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 315S QR, 31 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Crocodile Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe buckle Dimensions: 35mm Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement, and buckle signed. Accessories: Accompanied by additional hard caseback, setting pin, and Patek Philippe winding box. Additionally accompanied by a Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming manufacture of the present watch in 1993 and its subsequent sale on March 30th, 1994.
Catalogue Essay
Patek Philippe launched the reference 5050 with perpetual calendar and retrograde date in 1993 and it remained in production until 2002. Originally encased solely in yellow gold, by 1995 the brand extended the line to include models in pink and white gold as well as platinum. Originally sold with silvered dials with applied Roman numerals and a moon phase aperture, Patek Philippe modified the dial with applied baton numerals and a moon phase forming a fully circular subsidiary dial and highlighted with the wording “automatic”, as in the present lot.
Offered here having developed a lovely patina throughout from being hardly ever worn, the present reference 5050 comes from the Ride the Wave collection.
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.
