23,000 CHF
Patek, Philippe & Cie. , Genève, No. 170294, case No. 27 3605, made in 1912, sold on December 8, 1917. Extremely fine silver deck lever chronometer “EXTRA” adjusted for the 1912 Geneva Observatory Timing Contest, with 36-hour power reserve indicator and Guillaume balance, used by the United States Navy, accompanied by Extract from the Archives. Four-body, “bassine”, polished, silver hinged cuvette. Heavy solid silver, bold champlevé Roman numerals, outer champlevé minute track, champlevé up-and-down sector at 12 o’clock, champlevé subsidiary seconds. Blued steel “spade” hands. 47 mm. (21’’’), patented Cal. 18o, 20 jewels, straight line calibrated lever escapement, anibal-brass Guillaume balance with “winged” arms, gold temperature adjustment screws and platinum mean time ones, special alloy Breguet balance spring with inner and outer terminal curve, diamond endstone, “swan-neck” micrometric regulator. Signed on dial, case and movement. Diam. 61 mm. Notes Large movements with 18o, and sometimes, but rarely, with 18H calibers, were made to the highest possible standards. They were specially adjusted by such masters as Henri Wehrli, J. Golay-Audemars, F. Modoux, and C. Batifolier, who were the best paid workers in the watch industry. Watches adjusted by them, especially those awarded prizes at the Observatory Contests, were several times more expensive than the regular ones. The present watch is exceptionally well made, adjusted for the Observatory Contest, and engraved on
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2003-04-12
