Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces

New York, Jun 08, 2011

LOT 243

PATEK PHILIPPE ? REF. 5450 ? PLATINUM ADVANCE RESEARCH Patek Philippe, Genève, ?Patek Philippe Advanced Research? Pulsomax Escapement?, movement No. 3900014, case No. 4429150, Ref. 5450P. Made in a limited edition of 300 pieces in 2008. Very fine, rare and innovative, center-seconds, self-winding, water resistant, platinum and diamond wristwatch with annual calendar, power reserve indication, moon phases, Pulsomax escapement and a platinum Patek Philippe deployant clasp. Accompanied by the Certificate of Origin, fitted box, push pin and booklet.

USD 70,000 - 90,000

CHF 60,000 - 80,000 / EUR 47,000 - 60,000

Sold: USD 86,500

C. Two-body, polished, transparent screwed-down case back with cyclops lens over the escape and balance wheels, curved bezel, correctors in the band, concave lugs, sapphire crystals. D. Pink with applied black gold baton indexes and Arabic quarter hour numerals, luminous dots, outer minute track, subsidiary dials for the days of the week, the months, aperture for the moon phases and the date at 6, power-reserve indication below 12. Luminous black gold feuille hands. M. Cal. 324, stamped with the Seal of Geneva Quality Mark, rhodium-plated, fausses cotes decoration, 34 jewels, straight line lever escapement, Pulsomax escape wheel, the bridge with additional milled opening, Gyromax balance adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, shock absorber, self-compensating free-sprung silinvar Spiromax balance spring, 21K gold rotor with zirconium ball-bearings. Dial, movement and case signed, back crystal inscribed ?Patek Philippe Advanced Research?. Diam. 39 mm. Thickness 11.7


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade:
Case: 1

As new
Movement: 1

As new
Dial: 1-01

As new

HANDS Original

Notes

Ref. 5450 In 2005, Patek Philippe introduced the first of a series of watches with technical innovations designed to improve accuracy with the reference 5250. This watch featured a Silinvar escape wheel. Then in 2006 the reference 5350 with Spiromax balance spring and Silinvar escape wheel. In 2008 the reference 5450 became the third and most advanced of a trilogy with its combination of the new Pulsomax lever and escape wheel made of Silinvar and a Spiromax balance spring made of Silinvar so that all three components of the escapement are made using the new technology. The escapement is therefore completely antimagnetic. The Ref. 5450 is a limited edition of 300 pieces made in platinum.
Pulsomax Escapement The lever is made of Silinvar, a component of silica that has one-third the mass of steel, it is also of very different shape to the usual Swiss lever. The escape wheel is also made of Silinvar, this results in very low friction and eliminates the need for oil. The manufacturing process is called Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) and this enables each component to be made complete as opposed to requiring the several manufacturing processes involved in making a standard Swiss part. The DRIE process is up to 10 times more accurate than typical machining. Spiromax Balance Spring
Spiromax is a totally new type of balance spring made of Silinvar. The Advanced Research Department at Patek Philippe developed a new terminal curve design using the Silinvar balance spring. The patented Patek Philippe terminal curve is noticeably thicker at the outer end, forcing concentric development upon the Spiromax spring. This causes the expansion and contraction of the spring to be symmetric relative to its center over the entire plane of oscillation. The Patek Philippe terminal curve lies within this plane and can be crafted three times thinner than a spring with a Philips or Breguet overcoil, thus facilitating the construction of very thin movements