Importantes Montres de Collection

Geneva, Nov 13, 2011

LOT 498

PATEK PHILIPPE REF. 738, LEVER CHRONOMETER NAVIGATION WATCH FOR GENEVA OBSERVATORY TRIAL, SILVER Patek Philippe & Cie., Genève, movement No. 106824, case No. 625987, Ref. 738, made in 1896, sold on August 12, 1901 to J.H. Leyson, Butte, Montana. Extremely fine and rare, large, silver, keyless, "Extra" adjusted lever chronometer navigation watch with Guillaume-type balance, entered for Geneva Observatory Timing Contest, achieving a ?Grade A? rating certificate. Accompanied by a Patek Philippe wooden deck box and the Extract from the Archives.

CHF 18,000 - 28,000

USD 20,000 - 30,000 / EUR 15,000 - 23,000

Sold: CHF 22,500

C. Four-body, "bassine", polished. Hinged silver cuvette. D. Matte silver with applied polished baton indexes, outer engraved dot minute track. Polished dauphine hands. M. 19???, Adjusted Extra, rhodium plated, fausses cotes decoration, pillar plate under the dial with oeil de perdrix fi nishing, 17 jewels, wolf?s tooth winding, very high quality straight line calibrated equidistant lever escapement, anibal-brass Guillaume-type compensation balance with poising wings on the balance arm, gold and platinum temperature and meantime adjustment screws, blued steel Breguet balance spring with outer terminal curve, diamond endstone, swan-neck micrometric regulator. Dial, case and movement signed, movement also signed for Butte, Montana, case punched with Swiss and German silver marks. Diam. 60 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

The present watch is a fi ne example of a Patek Philippe navigation watch from a very small series, all destined for Observatory trials, it is a particularly early example, made in 1896. According to the Extract from the Archives, the original case of this watch was replaced by the present case (No. 625987) during a servicing in the Patek Philippe workshops in 1960. It is likely that the present dial and hands were also added at this time. Watches such as this which were successful at the Observatory Contests were several times more expensive than the regular production. When destined for Observatory Timing Contests, the movements of Patek Philippe watches, like those of other makers, were double engraved with the movement serial numbers. The inscription "Extra" on the bridge of the movement refers to the high fi nishing of all the parts of the movement. The case also bears a German import mark for silver indicating that it was probably originally destined to be used by the German Navy, but was never cased. Very few navigation watches of this type were supplied by Patek Philippe, perhaps due to their high prices.