Contemporary, Limited Edition and Col...

New York, Grand Havana Room, May 13, 1999

LOT 200

Patek Philippe & Cie, Geneve, No. 761042, case No. 684564, Ref. 2526, made in 1954, sold on February 7, 1955. Extremely rare and fine, waterproof, self-winding, platinum gentleman's wristwatch.

USD 70,000 - 80,000

C. massive, polished, screwed back. D. white enamel with applied white gold indexes + auxiliary seconds dial. "Dauphine" white gold hands. M. 12"'-600 AT, Geneva Quality Hall Mark, rhodium plated, "fausses cotes " decoration, 30 jewels, lever escapement, Giromax balance adjusted to heat, cold isochronism and 5 positions, an tishock system, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring, micrometer regulator, 18K gold rotor. Dial, case and movement signed. Dram. 35 mm. Accompanied by Extract from the Archives.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3

Good
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

Ref. 2526 First launched by Patek Philippe in 1953, the first self-winding wristwatch model ever made by the House, with the calibre 12"'-600 AT, bearing the serial number 760000. It would appear that Patek Philippe produced the Ref. 2526 in 580 examples, mostly with enamel dial. - 20 examples in platinum - 30 examples in pink gold - 50 examples in white gold - 480 examples in yellow gold The Ref. 2526 is a most appealing wristwatch and highly sought after by collectors. There have been four generations of this model which have evolved as follows: - 1st generation: domed mew back, synthetic beige enamel dial with applied indexes. The enamel is flared around the holes which hold the indexes, the central hands and the subsidiary seconds hand. - 2nd generation: domed screw back, synthetic beige enamel dial with applied indexes. The indexes are inlaid in the enamel surface; the enamel is flared around the holes which holcl the central hands and the subsidiary seconds hand. In this particular series, only very few examples were made with black dial and even fewer with Breguet numerals. - 3rd generation: identical to the 2nd generation but with practically flat screw back. Very few examples of this series were produced with black dial, and only one with black dial and Breguct numerals is known to date. - 4th generation: practically flat screw back, synthetic beige enamel dial with applied indexes. The indexes are luminescent and inlaid in the enamel surface; the enamel is flared around the holes which hold the central hands and the subsidiary seconds hand. The very first wristwatch of this series, Ref. 2526, and also, the first self-winding wristwatch ever made by Patek Philippe is illustrated in Collecting Patch Philippe Watches by Madeleine and Osvaldo Patrizzi, Guido Mondani Editore, Genova, 1994, p. 111, pl. 167. This watch was sold by Antiquonmr in New \i k on June 20, 1998, lot 133, for US$ 57,500. Similar watches are published in Patel Philippe Wristwatches, by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, Edition 1998, pp. 213-214 and 216-217.