Important Collector's, Watches, Wrist...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 15, 2000

LOT 306

Patek Philippe & Cie à Genève, No. 17371, the enameled miniature attributed to Pierre Millenet of Geneva, circa 1862.Very fine and almost certainly unique 18K gold hunting-cased keyless watch with concealed enamel portrait of Jesus.

C. Four-body, 'demi-bassine', barleycorn engine-turning on both covers, front cover with a blank shield, reeded band, gold hinged cuvette, the back with a concealed, very finely painted portrait of Jesus in pain, revealed by pressing the back cover lip, signed on the reverse '1862 P.M.' The inside of the spring-loaded secret compartment engraved in Cyrillic "20 Apr 1862 [belongs to] Monk Dorofiey". D. White enamel with Roman numerals, outside minute divisions, sunk subsidiary dial, snap-on fit.. 18??? gilded-brass, straight-line calibrated lever escapement, bimetallic compensation balance, flat balance spring, double roller table with triangular ruby roller jewel, 19 jewels, wolf-teeth winding wheels, Adrien Philippe?s 3rd stem-winding system, the early 'sliding-pinion' one, patented on April 22, 1845, French patent No. 1317. Geneva stop-work with typical Patek Philippe steel cover plate.Signed on the cuvette, movement stamped 'PP' on the pillar plate under the dial.Diam. 50 mm.