Patek Philippe. An 18k Gold Openface Keyless Lever Pocket Watch

Patek Philippe watches for Gondolo & Labouriau On November 12, 1872, Patek Philippe sold its first watch to the Rio de Janiero based retailer Gondolo & Labouriau. Until 1927, when the relationship ended, approximately one third of Patek Philippe’s entire production was sold through this Brazilian retailer. Thousands of watches were made that are now known as Gondolo watches and wristwatches and they represent some of the most coveted Patek Philippe watches ever made. The reasons are simple: the quality of these timepieces is impressive in their unique technical requirements and is the way they were originally sold to exclusive member’s of the ultimate watch collecting club, the Gondolo Gang. To be a member of Gondolo’s collecting club in the early 20th century was the ultimate expression of having ‘arrived’ in the world of Brazilian society. Today, we call members of this club the Gondolo Gang, now made famous for their straw Patek Philippe hats, lavish outings, and obsession to own the finest watches ever made. The retailer devised a brilliant marketing scheme to attract members to its collecting clubs a selling strategy called the ‘Plano do Club Patek Philippe System’. Each member of the 180 person club would commit to buying a pocket watch with a retail price of 790 Swiss francs. They would be required to make a 10 francs payment every week for 79 weeks until the watch was paid in full. And here is the hook: there were 79 consecutive weekly drawings where winners were released from their future payment responsibilities if theirs was the lucky name drawn in the lottery. For example, the first weekly ‘winner’ would get his Patek Philippe for free, the second weekly winner would only pay 10 francs for his watch, the third weekly winner, only 20 francs, and so on. The remaining 101 members would pay full price for their watch. This Patek Philippe collecting club system allowed for the members of the ‘Gang’ to circumvent the Brazilian ban on gambling since the clubs were considered private societies. It allowed Chronometro Gondolo to a system to guarantee punctual payments for all of the Patek Philippe watches it sold. Yet being part of the Gondolo clubs meant so much more. This exclusive group of well connected individuals went on exclusive annual outings together such as picnics, the opera, and social gatherings. Of the hundreds of pocket watches made for Gondolo & Labouriau clubs between 1900-1927, now famously known as Chronometro Gondolo watches, the great majority were similar in their design. Four basic requirements were requested by Gondolo & Labouriau to distinguish the watches made for them from the watches made for Patek Philippe’s regular production. First, the watches needed to be made with gilded brass plates and feature the elegant S-shaped fourth wheel patented by Patek Philippe on January 13, 1893. The S-shaped minute train bridge is now considered one the company’s hallmark designs. Secondly, a Swiss moustache lever escapement with bimetallic compensation balance was needed on each of the watches to meet high precision standards. Thirdly, the fourth, intermediate, and minute wheels of the watch were made in 9k rose gold. Lastly, a square socket was necessary in each of the mainspring barrels. Chronometro Gondolo pocket watches were made in several different sizes and design configurations. Occasionally, certain examples were fitted with center seconds of a chronograph. The product line sold to Gondolo was extensive – 9 different caliber sizes ranging from 10-22 lignes. The dials were typically white enamel with roman numerals, with some examples featuring the name of the owner below 12 o’clock. When Patek Philippe began regular production of the wristwatch in 1910, the movements of Gondolo wristwatches had the same technical requirements as pocket watches. However the wristwatches were made with an incredible array of designs and available in circular, square, rectangular, and cushion , and of course tonneau shapes, some in impressive sizes, the largest Gondolo wristwatch boasting a length of 48 mm including the lugs. Today, Patek Philippe continues to offer a complete line of wristwatches inspired by the original Gondolo watches. The retailer, Gondolo & Labouriau is a distant memory. It imported its last Patek Philippe in 1927 and this powerhouse of a retailer has now long been out of business. However, its name lives on in the amazing Patek Philippe Gondolo watches that it imported into South American for decades.

Details

Patek Philippe. An 18k Gold Openface Keyless Lever Pocket Watch
Cal. 21''' gilt-finished jewelled lever movement, bimetallic compensation balance, wolfe's tooth winding, gold cuvette, white enamel dial, Roman numerals, sunken subsidiary seconds dial, engine-turned circular case, hinged back, case, cuvette, dial and movement signed by maker, cuvette and dial signed by retailer
56mm diam.
Patek Philippe
Chronometro Gondolo

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Lot Essay

Accompanied by a Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch in 1906 and its subsequent sale on August 8th of the same year.

To the best of our knowledge this watch has never before been offered in public.

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