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Lot Essay
The present reference 5059-018 with rich rose dial and raised gold Roman numerals is one of the greatest and most attractive of Patek Philippe’s modern rarities.
Even among this already rare reference, the present watch is fascinating and highly individual, it is possibly unique in having an ‘out of series’ caliber 315 S QR movement originating from the third and last batch of movements made for the original ref. 5059 series production that was discontinued in 2006. To the best of our knowledge, all other publicly known examples of reference 5059G-018 are fitted with the caliber 324 S QR movement bearing Patek Philippe’s own ‘PP’ seal of excellence which was used in the 5059’s successor, reference 5159. As such, the caliber 315 S QR movement of the present watch does not therefore bear the Patek Philippe of ‘PP’ seal of excellence used on all Patek Philippe’s movements since 2009. Instead, this movement manufactured in about 2005, bears the earlier ‘Geneva Seal’ stamp or ‘Poinçon de Genève’.
A Study of the Present Watch
The standard production 5059 – automatic winding perpetual calendar with retrograde date and sweep centre seconds was introduced in 1998 and discontinued in 2006. The case of the present watch dates from around 2015 and its movement, caliber 315 S QR, is from the third series with serial numbers starting 3’410’xxx which commenced in 2004. Therefore the case was made new in 2015 but the movement was made over 10 years earlier, before production of the reference 5059 ended. Such an ‘out of series’ watch was created using a new old stock movement and a case that are unrelated in date yet entirely legitimate in its own right. As a result of the differing dates of manufacture of the case and movement of the present watch, a very rare, perhaps even unique anomaly occurs whereby the movement bears the Geneva Seal, or ‘Poinçon de Genève’, for many decades been considered the ultimate standard in watchmaking. The Poinçon de Genéve however, only controlled the standard of finishing and decoration of the watch movement. Testing for precision was an optional part of achieving the Geneva Seal. Thus in 2009, Patek Philippe decided to create their own ‘PP Seal’ standard of excellence which covered almost every aspect of the watch, up to and including, the ownership experience. In 2012, the criteria for the Geneva Seal were upgraded in response.
The present watch is therefore perhaps the only Patek Philippe Ref. 5059G-018 manufactured in 2015 to have a movement made circa 2005 and bearing the Poinçon de Genéve.
Even among this already rare reference, the present watch is fascinating and highly individual, it is possibly unique in having an ‘out of series’ caliber 315 S QR movement originating from the third and last batch of movements made for the original ref. 5059 series production that was discontinued in 2006. To the best of our knowledge, all other publicly known examples of reference 5059G-018 are fitted with the caliber 324 S QR movement bearing Patek Philippe’s own ‘PP’ seal of excellence which was used in the 5059’s successor, reference 5159. As such, the caliber 315 S QR movement of the present watch does not therefore bear the Patek Philippe of ‘PP’ seal of excellence used on all Patek Philippe’s movements since 2009. Instead, this movement manufactured in about 2005, bears the earlier ‘Geneva Seal’ stamp or ‘Poinçon de Genève’.
A Study of the Present Watch
The standard production 5059 – automatic winding perpetual calendar with retrograde date and sweep centre seconds was introduced in 1998 and discontinued in 2006. The case of the present watch dates from around 2015 and its movement, caliber 315 S QR, is from the third series with serial numbers starting 3’410’xxx which commenced in 2004. Therefore the case was made new in 2015 but the movement was made over 10 years earlier, before production of the reference 5059 ended. Such an ‘out of series’ watch was created using a new old stock movement and a case that are unrelated in date yet entirely legitimate in its own right. As a result of the differing dates of manufacture of the case and movement of the present watch, a very rare, perhaps even unique anomaly occurs whereby the movement bears the Geneva Seal, or ‘Poinçon de Genève’, for many decades been considered the ultimate standard in watchmaking. The Poinçon de Genéve however, only controlled the standard of finishing and decoration of the watch movement. Testing for precision was an optional part of achieving the Geneva Seal. Thus in 2009, Patek Philippe decided to create their own ‘PP Seal’ standard of excellence which covered almost every aspect of the watch, up to and including, the ownership experience. In 2012, the criteria for the Geneva Seal were upgraded in response.
The present watch is therefore perhaps the only Patek Philippe Ref. 5059G-018 manufactured in 2015 to have a movement made circa 2005 and bearing the Poinçon de Genéve.