Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Nov 16, 2008

LOT 716

Platinum and Diamonds, Ref. 5004 P with Baguette Indexes Patek Philippe, Genève, movement No. 3275167, case No. 4448720, Ref. 5004P-032. Sold in 2008. Extremely rare and important, possibly unique, water-resistant, platinum and diamonds wristwatch with split-seconds chronograph, registers, perpetual calendar, moon phases, leap year and 24 hour indication and a platinum Patek Philippe deployant clasp. Accompanied by an additional solid platinum case back, setting pin, fitted box, and Certificate of Origin.

CHF 320,000 - 380,000

USD 300,000 - 350,000 / EUR 200,000 - 240,000

Sold: CHF 379,600

C. Three-body, solid, polished, transparent screwed-down case back, case band with 4 correctors, co-axial push button in the crown for the split-seconds function, concave bezel, fluted lugs, sapphire crystals. D. Black with baguette diamond indexes, subsidiary dials for the 30-minute register and leap year at 3, the days of the month at 6, the seconds and the 24-hours at 9, apertures for the days of the week, the months and the moon phases, outer 1/5th seconds track. White gold baton hands. M. Cal. CHR 2-70/150, stamped with the Geneva Quality Mark, rhodium-plated, fausses-cotes decoration, 28 jewels, straight line lever escapement, Glucydur Gyromax balance, shock-absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring. Dial and movement signed. Diam. 36 mm. Thickness 15 mm.

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Image

Grading System
Grade:
Case: 1

As new

Movement: 1

As new

Dial: 1-01

As new

HANDS Original

Notes

Ref. 5004 First produced in 1995, this highly complicated, manually wound wristwatch combines a split-seconds chronograph with the functions of the perpetual calendar and moon phase. The movement consists of a total of 404 parts.
What is a split-seconds chronograph? A split-seconds chronograph or 'rattrapante' is a type of chronograph watch with two coaxial superimposed center-seconds hands that are controlled by two push-buttons. One push-button controls the split-seconds hand to stop or join the chronograph hand. The other push-buttons control both hands and all the functions of the chronograph. The chronograph hand and the split-seconds hand are used for timing several events that start simultaneously, but are of different durations. To operate the split-seconds chronograph, both hands are started and remain superimposed. Then at the end of the first duration, the splitseconds hand can be stopped while the chronograph hand continues to move. The duration of the first event can be read. After recording, the split-seconds hand can be released to instantly move and join the chronograph hand, synchronizing with it and thus being ready for another recording. At the end of each event the hands then can be stopped and returned to zero. The split-seconds chronograph, in its present form, was first introduced in 1880. Split-seconds chronograph wristwatches came on the market circa 1922 by Patek Philippe (the first known wristwatch of this kind was Patek Philippe No. 124824, case No. 235326, which was sold by Antiquorum as lot 448 on November 14, 1999 for US $1,918,387, which was at the time the highest price ever realized for a wristwatch at auction). This timepiece appeared five years prior to the official release of the split-seconds chronograph, making Patek Philippe the first manufacture to create this complication in a wristwatch. As they require a highly complicated and technical mechanism, these watches are desirable, very collectible and extremely difficult to produce accounting for their rarity.