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Lot Essay
The present watch, consigned by a private owner and never offered in public before, is a beautifully preserved and highly attractive example of the celebrated "Officier" model, featuring the rare sweep centre seconds. It is preserved in very good, original overall condition, still retaining the large and very rare early gold buckle, very likely the original.
These features combined with the private owner provenance render it a rare and early timepiece, in great condition and of considerable interest for any discerning collector.
Officier case wristwatches are quite possibly the timepieces that most exude a vintage vibe. First designed at the beginning of the 20th century, they are some of the earliest examples of wristwatches. They were originally developed for military purposes, so that reading of the watch would be much more immediate compared to a pocket watch which has to be taken out of a pocket. This destination explains the hinged case back and cuvette usually found on Officier style watches: the hinged parts cannot be lost, and the cuvette provides additional movement protection, invaluable in combat situation. Another detail dictated by war necessities is the strap securing system, which employs screw bars rather than spring bars, much more difficult to be accidentally deployed.
Being very early timepieces, Officier cased wristwatches have early type watch movements: still quite thick, as technical innovations had so far allowed only for limited miniaturization. As a result, the case design is as well relatively thick, and it imparts to the watch a sense of solidity that far exceeds that seen on later watches of similar size. The dial of the present timepiece is simply sublime, furthermore adorned with the highly appreciated Breguet numerals. Timepieces with an enamel dial in a condition as stunning and pristine as the one mounted on the present watch are as attractive as they are rare.
An almost identical Officier watch is described and illustrated in: Patek Philippe - Volume II, Patek Philippe Museum, p. 177.
These features combined with the private owner provenance render it a rare and early timepiece, in great condition and of considerable interest for any discerning collector.
Officier case wristwatches are quite possibly the timepieces that most exude a vintage vibe. First designed at the beginning of the 20th century, they are some of the earliest examples of wristwatches. They were originally developed for military purposes, so that reading of the watch would be much more immediate compared to a pocket watch which has to be taken out of a pocket. This destination explains the hinged case back and cuvette usually found on Officier style watches: the hinged parts cannot be lost, and the cuvette provides additional movement protection, invaluable in combat situation. Another detail dictated by war necessities is the strap securing system, which employs screw bars rather than spring bars, much more difficult to be accidentally deployed.
Being very early timepieces, Officier cased wristwatches have early type watch movements: still quite thick, as technical innovations had so far allowed only for limited miniaturization. As a result, the case design is as well relatively thick, and it imparts to the watch a sense of solidity that far exceeds that seen on later watches of similar size. The dial of the present timepiece is simply sublime, furthermore adorned with the highly appreciated Breguet numerals. Timepieces with an enamel dial in a condition as stunning and pristine as the one mounted on the present watch are as attractive as they are rare.
An almost identical Officier watch is described and illustrated in: Patek Philippe - Volume II, Patek Philippe Museum, p. 177.