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Lot Essay
Introduced into the market in 1952, reference 2526 was Patek Philippe's first self-winding or automatic watch ever made, starting with movement number 760'000 (delivered in July 1953 to Mr. J.B. Champion, one of Patek Philippe's faithful clients. This watch, fitted with a gold bracelet, is today the pride of a discerning collector). The model features the legendary calibre 12-600 AT which was granted Swiss patent No. 289758 in 1953 for "a self-winding mechanism for a wristwatch movement using the energy supplied by a rotary mass causing an eccentric part to transmit a swinging movement to an organ of the mechanism".
The majority of reference 2526 was cased in yellow gold, a small series in pink gold and an exceedingly limited number in white gold and platinum. Mainly fitted with enamel dials with applied gold baton numerals, the white gold and platinum examples were also available with silvered metal dials with diamond indexes.
Reference 2526 can be divided in three distinct series:
First series: domed case back, enamel dial and riveted numerals. The dial presents flared holes under each numeral in order to allow for the setting of the numeral.
Second series: domed case back, enamel dial with the numerals glued to it. The dial presents only two flared holes for the hands.
Third series: flat case back, and in later ones metal dial.
Fourth series: same as third series, but with new calibre 27-460.
The present Ref. 2526 is a well-preserved example of the rare pink gold version of the model, further with the attractive cream-coloured enamel dial.
The majority of reference 2526 was cased in yellow gold, a small series in pink gold and an exceedingly limited number in white gold and platinum. Mainly fitted with enamel dials with applied gold baton numerals, the white gold and platinum examples were also available with silvered metal dials with diamond indexes.
Reference 2526 can be divided in three distinct series:
First series: domed case back, enamel dial and riveted numerals. The dial presents flared holes under each numeral in order to allow for the setting of the numeral.
Second series: domed case back, enamel dial with the numerals glued to it. The dial presents only two flared holes for the hands.
Third series: flat case back, and in later ones metal dial.
Fourth series: same as third series, but with new calibre 27-460.
The present Ref. 2526 is a well-preserved example of the rare pink gold version of the model, further with the attractive cream-coloured enamel dial.