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Lot Essay
With Patek Philippe Certificat d'Origine et de Garantie dated 21 October 1961, original envelope and Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch in 1960 and its subsequent sale on 21 October 1961. Furthermore delivered with the photocopy of the US Treasury Department Bureau of Customs Receipt for Duties, Taxes, and mitigated Forfeitures, Importer's Receipt, No. 246643, dated 22 October 1961, import duties totalling US$ 66.50, and various original correspondence between the purchaser of the watch, Mr. William A. Johnson of 33175 Fox Hollow Drive, Cleveland, Ohio, and Patek Philippe, Geneva:
-Patek Philippe original invoice dated 21 October 1961 amounting to CHF2,660 or US$619
-a second invoice from the same day detailing the value of the movement and of the case for customs purposes in the US
-carbon copy of Mr. Johnson's letter dated 9 February 1962 addressed to Mr. Paul L. Hoffmann at Patek Philippe, Geneva, complaining that the chronograph mechanism had been faulty since the arrival in the US
-carbon copy of Mr. Johnson's letter dated 8 March 1962 addressed to Mr. Henri Stern, Patek Philippe, Geneva, informing him that American customers should be provided with a statement of the individual values of case and movement of the watch which would help to prevent the assessment of an excessive duty
-original reply to Mr. Johnson signed by Henri Stern, President, dated 9 April 1962 thanking him for his letter dated 8 March 1962 and the helpful information
-carbon copies of Mr. Johnson's draft letter to Mr. Henri Stern dated 9 March 1962 and the final version dated 30 March 1962 informing him about the returning of the watch in person on or about 6 April due to two difficulties, 1) the stopping of the chronograph hand at the 58 or 59 seconds position and 2) the position adjustment of the watch which "is not as good as I would expect in a watch of your manufacture. I have recently completed a careful check of the rate in the five usual positions, the watch being run four days in each position. The results were as follows:", followed by the relevant rates and mean daily deviation
-Patek Philippe letter dated 29 May 1962 confirming that the firm "succeeded in regulating your fine Patek Philippe watch movement no. 868995. We are shipping it to you separately" and the relevant results
No information is available about Mr. William A. Johnson but based on the pulsation dial and the correspondence, one must assume that he was most likely a physician and a knowledgeable scientist able to test the watch in different positions.
The other elements rendering this piece so unique and legendary are the unusual dial calibrated for pulsation scale, the co-axial pusher in the crown to split the chronograph seconds hands and the presence of the original documentation.
Preserved in excellent, unmolested condition, fresh to the market and with formidable provenance, this watch combines all elements the demanding collector would seek. The incredibly charismatic, two-tone silvered dial does not show signs of cosmetic enhancement; consequently, the hard enamel signature and scales are as raised as the connoisseur would expect. The case, barely polished, not only retains the original proportions to an excellent extent but also shows beautifully the Swiss gold mark between the lower lugs.
This extremely exclusive and desirable watch is one of only three known examples of reference 1436 cased in yellow gold featuring a two-tone silvered dial with the rare and much sought-after pulsation scale known to exist to date, destined to become a centrepiece in any of the world's most distinguished collections.
Reference 1436
Since its introduction to the market in 1938, reference 1436 remained the best known split seconds chronograph model produced by Patek Philippe. It was predominantly cased in either yellow or pink gold, no examples are known to date in white gold or platinum. The elegant reference 1436 and its high quality and complex movement certainly marked a peak in the evolution of technical wristwatches - an area in which Patek Philippe has been foremost for generations.
During over 30 years of production, reference 1436 saw a fascinating development both technically and aesthetically. Numerous dial designs have been given to this model. Until production of reference 1436 was discontinued in the early 1970s, it has seen two different constructions in regard to how the chronograph seconds hand would be split. On the first generation of this model, made until the late 1940s, the crown would serve as a button to split and reunite the two seconds hand. The second generation was fitted with a co-axial push button within the crown for the split seconds function.
The model is illustrated in Patek Philippe Wristwatches by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, second edition, p. 273, pl. 422 (first generation) and p. 274, pl. 423 (second generation).
-Patek Philippe original invoice dated 21 October 1961 amounting to CHF2,660 or US$619
-a second invoice from the same day detailing the value of the movement and of the case for customs purposes in the US
-carbon copy of Mr. Johnson's letter dated 9 February 1962 addressed to Mr. Paul L. Hoffmann at Patek Philippe, Geneva, complaining that the chronograph mechanism had been faulty since the arrival in the US
-carbon copy of Mr. Johnson's letter dated 8 March 1962 addressed to Mr. Henri Stern, Patek Philippe, Geneva, informing him that American customers should be provided with a statement of the individual values of case and movement of the watch which would help to prevent the assessment of an excessive duty
-original reply to Mr. Johnson signed by Henri Stern, President, dated 9 April 1962 thanking him for his letter dated 8 March 1962 and the helpful information
-carbon copies of Mr. Johnson's draft letter to Mr. Henri Stern dated 9 March 1962 and the final version dated 30 March 1962 informing him about the returning of the watch in person on or about 6 April due to two difficulties, 1) the stopping of the chronograph hand at the 58 or 59 seconds position and 2) the position adjustment of the watch which "is not as good as I would expect in a watch of your manufacture. I have recently completed a careful check of the rate in the five usual positions, the watch being run four days in each position. The results were as follows:", followed by the relevant rates and mean daily deviation
-Patek Philippe letter dated 29 May 1962 confirming that the firm "succeeded in regulating your fine Patek Philippe watch movement no. 868995. We are shipping it to you separately" and the relevant results
No information is available about Mr. William A. Johnson but based on the pulsation dial and the correspondence, one must assume that he was most likely a physician and a knowledgeable scientist able to test the watch in different positions.
The other elements rendering this piece so unique and legendary are the unusual dial calibrated for pulsation scale, the co-axial pusher in the crown to split the chronograph seconds hands and the presence of the original documentation.
Preserved in excellent, unmolested condition, fresh to the market and with formidable provenance, this watch combines all elements the demanding collector would seek. The incredibly charismatic, two-tone silvered dial does not show signs of cosmetic enhancement; consequently, the hard enamel signature and scales are as raised as the connoisseur would expect. The case, barely polished, not only retains the original proportions to an excellent extent but also shows beautifully the Swiss gold mark between the lower lugs.
This extremely exclusive and desirable watch is one of only three known examples of reference 1436 cased in yellow gold featuring a two-tone silvered dial with the rare and much sought-after pulsation scale known to exist to date, destined to become a centrepiece in any of the world's most distinguished collections.
Reference 1436
Since its introduction to the market in 1938, reference 1436 remained the best known split seconds chronograph model produced by Patek Philippe. It was predominantly cased in either yellow or pink gold, no examples are known to date in white gold or platinum. The elegant reference 1436 and its high quality and complex movement certainly marked a peak in the evolution of technical wristwatches - an area in which Patek Philippe has been foremost for generations.
During over 30 years of production, reference 1436 saw a fascinating development both technically and aesthetically. Numerous dial designs have been given to this model. Until production of reference 1436 was discontinued in the early 1970s, it has seen two different constructions in regard to how the chronograph seconds hand would be split. On the first generation of this model, made until the late 1940s, the crown would serve as a button to split and reunite the two seconds hand. The second generation was fitted with a co-axial push button within the crown for the split seconds function.
The model is illustrated in Patek Philippe Wristwatches by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, second edition, p. 273, pl. 422 (first generation) and p. 274, pl. 423 (second generation).