Thematic Auction in Geneva:The Evolut...

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Nov 16, 2002

LOT 365

Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, No. 861246, case No. 687681, Ref. 2524. Production of this reference started in 1955.Very fine, rare, and important, minute-repeating, 18K yellow gold gentleman's wristwatch with an 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe buckle.

CHF 0 - 0

EUR 0 - 0

Sold: CHF 487,500

C. three-body, solid, polished and brushed, concave faceted lugs. D. matte silver with applied gold bâton indexes. Yellow gold "bâton" hands. M. 12''' RM, rhodium-plated, "fausses-côtes" decoration, 29 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted for heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring, repeater on gongs by means of a clockwise slide on the band. Dial, case and movement signed.Diam. 33 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good

Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense

Dial: 3 - 01

Notes

Similar watches are published in "Patek Philippe Genève, Wristwatches", by Martin Huber and Alan Banbery, Patek Philippe S.A., Geneva, 1998 Edition, pp. 318-319, and in "Collecting Patek Philippe Watches" by M. and O. Patrizzi, Guido Mondani Editore, Genova, 2000, pp. 314, 315, and 317.Minute Repeater.A minute-repeating watch tells the time both visually and audibly. A slide on the side of the case, usually near the 9, will activate two hammers in the movement. These hammers strike two gongs curled within the case. First one hammer strikes a gong of a lower tonality; it counts out the hours. Then both hammers strike both gongs alternately to count out the quarter hours following the hour, and then the second hammer alone, striking a gong of a higher tonality, counts out the minutes after theuarter hour.The repeating mechanism was developed by Daniel Quare. In 1687, he patented a mechanism that sounded the hours and the quarter hours. Early repeaters used bells. At the end of the 18th century, two bent-wire gongs became the more popular mechanism. In 1892, the first minute repeater wristwatch was produced by Omega, a model with a round case.