Patek Philippe. An Extremely Fine, Rare and Attractive Stainless Steel Chronograph Wristwatch
This watch is pictured with straps made of endange… Read more
Patek Philippe. An Extremely Fine, Rare and Attractive Stainless Steel Chronograph Wristwatch

Signed Patek Philippe, Genève, Ref. 1463, Movement No. 867'968, Case No. 660'164, Manufactured in 1950

Details
Patek Philippe. An Extremely Fine, Rare and Attractive Stainless Steel Chronograph Wristwatch
Signed Patek Philippe, Genève, Ref. 1463, Movement No. 867'968, Case No. 660'164, Manufactured in 1950
Movement: Manual, Cal. 13''', 23 jewels
Dial: Silvered, Arabic numerals, two subsidiary dials, tachymeter scale
Case: Stainless steel, engraved screw back, metal dust cover, two round buttons in the band, 34.5mm diam.
Buckle: Associated stainless steel buckle
Accompanied By: A Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming date of sale on July 21, 1951, and an original Patek Philippe presentation box
Provenance
Property From the Original Family
Special Notice
This watch is pictured with straps made of endangered or protected animal materials such as alligator or crocodile. These endangered species straps are shown for display purposes only and are not for sale. Christie’s will remove and retain the strap prior to shipment from the sale site. At some sale sites, Christie’s may, at its discretion, make the displayed endangered species strap available to the buyer of the lot free of charge if collected in person from the sale site within 1 year of the date of the auction. Please check with the department for details on a particular lot.

Lot Essay

This example, being offered for the first time publicly from the original family, features a dial in original untouched condition from 1950. With the most desirable raised steel Arabic numerals combined with short indexes, this watch offers the opportunity for one to acquire a fresh to market unrestored example of the most coveted of early Patek Philippe sports watches. Furthermore, the attractive engraving on the case back is confirmed as being done within Patek Philippe’s workshops before the original purchaser took delivery of the watch in 1951.

The present reference 1463 is a superb example of Patek Philippe’s only vintage chronograph watch with screw back case and round pushers. Introduced in 1940, the model is unquestionably one of the renowned manufacturer’s most iconic and popular sports watches.

Manufactured in 1950, the “tasti tondi” (Italian for round pushers, as the model is affectionately called by collectors) offered here for sale is from the “second” series, made from the mid-1940s until around 1961. It is distinguished by the larger winding crown, more substantial lugs with curled ends and a more angular, stepped bezel design, as opposed to the rounded bezel and straighter lugs of the earlier generation.

Patek Philippe produced less than 200 of this reference in steel and less than 100 have ever appeared at market.

Examples of reference 1463 are illustrated and described in Patek Philippe Museum - Patek Philippe Watches - Volume II, pp. 268 – 269, in Patek Philippe Steel Watches by John Goldberger, pp. 268 – 301, and in Patek Philippe Wristwatches by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, second edition, p. 267.

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