57,500 CHF
Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, No. 90535,case No. 234808, production started on July 30, 1892, precision timing by Batifolier.Very fine and very rare 18K gold hunting cased, keyless pocket chronometer. Four body, massive, "bassine", frosted. Hinged gold cuvette. White enamel with Arabic numerals and sunk subsidiary seconds. Blued steel "spade" hands. Notes Pocket chronometers by Patek Philippe are extremely rare. An almost identical watch, No. 90538, is described and illustrated by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery in Patek Patek Philippe Pocket Watches, 1993 Edition, p. 170, fig. 136 a,b.Patek Philippe and ChronometryThe first rate trials for watches at the Geneva Observatory were carried out as early as 1790 and 1792, but until 1873, they were sporadic affairs and of no significance. Towards the second half of the 19th century, it was realised that the adoption of its own internationally recognised testing standard, could be a positive influence on the watch industry of the Canton of Geneva. And so, in 1873, the first annual chronometer competition at the Geneva Observatory was organised.According to Messrs. Alan Banbery & Martin Huber in Patek Philippe Pocket Watches, 1993 Edition, p. 85, the archives reveal that Patek Philippe & Co., won the series prize for the five best watches as early as 1884 and 1895, with 184,9 and 230,14 marks respectively. In the period between 1900 and 1939, the firm took 764 prizes for results achieved at the Geneva Observatory, of which 187
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
1999-11-14
