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Lot Essay
The wristwatches with rare handicrafts cloisonné enamel dials, always made in very small editions are now becoming iconic and highly collectable horological works of art.
This incredibly beautiful reference 5177 in white gold was made in a limited edition but the rarity behind this timepiece is its stunning enamel dial, combining the techniques of Grand Feu cloisonnè, flinqué and miniature painting, it is decorated with translucent and opaque enamels to convey the tonal beauty of the Tuscan countryside, the artist created the outlines by arranging thin gold wires on an engraved gold dial plate. The partitions, called "cloisons” in French, were filled with small quantities of enamel powder in the desired colour. The dial was then fired in a furnace at around 1000 degrees Celsius causing the powder to melt. Finally it was hand-polished until obtaining a perfectly flat glass-like surface. The creation of each dial requires up to 7 firings, using 7 to 10 different enamel colours. It would take one of Patek Philippe’s master enamellists approximately 7 days of work to create such an individual works of art.
Each year Patek Philippe produces around 40 one-of-a-kind pieces of rare handcraftsmanship that don’t appear in the stores or the current collections catalogue. The regular collection is also enriched annually with new models decorated by artisans at the top of their game.
This incredibly beautiful reference 5177 in white gold was made in a limited edition but the rarity behind this timepiece is its stunning enamel dial, combining the techniques of Grand Feu cloisonnè, flinqué and miniature painting, it is decorated with translucent and opaque enamels to convey the tonal beauty of the Tuscan countryside, the artist created the outlines by arranging thin gold wires on an engraved gold dial plate. The partitions, called "cloisons” in French, were filled with small quantities of enamel powder in the desired colour. The dial was then fired in a furnace at around 1000 degrees Celsius causing the powder to melt. Finally it was hand-polished until obtaining a perfectly flat glass-like surface. The creation of each dial requires up to 7 firings, using 7 to 10 different enamel colours. It would take one of Patek Philippe’s master enamellists approximately 7 days of work to create such an individual works of art.
Each year Patek Philippe produces around 40 one-of-a-kind pieces of rare handcraftsmanship that don’t appear in the stores or the current collections catalogue. The regular collection is also enriched annually with new models decorated by artisans at the top of their game.