299,000 HKD
Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, No. 921185,case No. 626964, Ref. 1415 HU (Heures Universelles), circa 1940.Very fine and rare, 18K yellow gold, “World Time”, gentleman’s wristwatch. three-body, solid, polished and brushed, hand engraved revolving reeded bezel bearing the names of 31 cities in the world, teardrop lugs. matte silver with painted Roman numerals and indexes, concentric, revolving dial in 24 hours for the nocturnal and diurnal hours. Yellow gold fancy hands. Cal. 12’’’-120 HU, rhodium plated, “fausses côtes” decoration, 18 jewels, lever escapement, monometallic balance adjusted for heat, coldisochronism and 5 positions, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring, micrometer regulator.Dial, case and movement signed.Diam. 31 mm. Notes A similar watch is published in Patek Philippe Wristwatches, by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, 1998 Edition, pp. 243-245.The World Time system was invented around 1935 by Louis Cottier (1894 - 1966), famous independent watchmaker in Geneva. This World Time system was used by Patek Philippe and also by other major names in the Swiss watch industry, such as Agassiz, Rolex and Vacheron Constantin.Patek Philippe created various series of “World Timers” and the earliest known is a probably unique rectangular “galbé” pink gold model, Ref. 515, made in 1937, which was soldby Antiquorum, Geneva, April 10, 1994, lot 502, forSFr. 550'000 (US$ 388,560).From 1937 until about 1940, Patek Philippe used the “World Time” movement in various types of
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2000-06-05
