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Lot Essay
Offered here for only the second time at public auction and preserved in superb overall condition, the present watch can be considered one of the pinnacles of 20th century watchmaking. It combines all aspects of the highest quality, making it an outstanding example for the uncompromising collector. One of the most revered complications, the tourbillon regulator, fitted in a state of the art gold case with hidden hinges, fully documented with certificates and timing extracts, in as good as unused condition and directly from the second private owners’ collection.
Movement no. 197’917 was made by Patek Philippe in 1929 using a Charles Piguet ébauche and steel tourbillon cage made by Hector Golay, fitted with a Guillaume balance to reduce timekeeping errors caused by temperature fluctuation (middle temperature error). It was regulated for observatory trial by one of Patek Philippe's most famous régleurs, François Modoux, who, along with Henri Wehrli, was responsible for the regulation of most of the watches made by Patek Philippe for the legendary and exacting watch enthusiast Henry Graves Jr. The régleurs were the highest paid workers in the watch industry because success in Observatory trials conferred reputation and prestige on the brand and therefore greater commercial success. The régleurs at Patek Philippe were regarded as the crème de la crème of the horological world.
The history of the present watch was personally confirmed to Theodore Beyer in May 1989 by Philippe Stern himself, then Vice-President of Patek Philippe. The movement was made in 1929 and was entered for Observatory competition in 1930 (although it was tested daily from May 1929). In 1930 it obtained its first Bulletin d’Observatoire, winning first prize with 849 points. However, due to the economic crash and the following Great Depression the movement was never cased and remained the property of Patek Philippe. Daily testing records for movement no. 197’917 begin again in February 1935 and continue throughout the 1930s and 40s. In 1947, it was entered for competition at the Observatoire de Genève, regulated on this occasion by E. Olivier, and achieved 836 points out of a possible 1000. The movement was Observatory tested on two further occasions: March to April 1952 achieving 812.2 points and again in early 1953, regulated by François Modoux and achieving 817.3 points.
For the following thirty years, movement no. 197’917 remained in Patek Philippe’s safe until, in 1984, it was decided to finish and case a small number of historic and important watches including the present. It was highly finished and engraved with the technical details and fitted into a superb and very heavy gold case constructed with concealed hinges, a beautiful matte silvered dial with perfectly proportioned Breguet numerals accompanied by the appropriate antique style blued steel Breguet hands. Completed in 1985, the watch was given the reference 926/1 and sold for the first time in 1986 to Theodore Beyer in Zürich who in turn sold it to its first private owner in October 1989. It was subsequently purchased by the present owner in whose collection it has remained until today.
This exceptional timepiece combines all aspects of the highest quality, making it a superb example for the demanding collector: one of the most prestigious complications, the tourbillon regulator, a state of the art gold case with hidden hinges, provenance and full documentation.
Two similar tourbillon watches, no. 197’670 and no. 198’323, are in the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, described and illustrated in: Patek Philippe Watches, Volume II, 2013, p. 55-56.
The history of Patek Philippe’s Observatory trial successes is recounted in: Patek Philippe, The Authorized Biography, Nicholas Foulkes, 2016, chapter 11 “The age of the champion régleurs”, p. 219-237.
Movement no. 197’917 was made by Patek Philippe in 1929 using a Charles Piguet ébauche and steel tourbillon cage made by Hector Golay, fitted with a Guillaume balance to reduce timekeeping errors caused by temperature fluctuation (middle temperature error). It was regulated for observatory trial by one of Patek Philippe's most famous régleurs, François Modoux, who, along with Henri Wehrli, was responsible for the regulation of most of the watches made by Patek Philippe for the legendary and exacting watch enthusiast Henry Graves Jr. The régleurs were the highest paid workers in the watch industry because success in Observatory trials conferred reputation and prestige on the brand and therefore greater commercial success. The régleurs at Patek Philippe were regarded as the crème de la crème of the horological world.
The history of the present watch was personally confirmed to Theodore Beyer in May 1989 by Philippe Stern himself, then Vice-President of Patek Philippe. The movement was made in 1929 and was entered for Observatory competition in 1930 (although it was tested daily from May 1929). In 1930 it obtained its first Bulletin d’Observatoire, winning first prize with 849 points. However, due to the economic crash and the following Great Depression the movement was never cased and remained the property of Patek Philippe. Daily testing records for movement no. 197’917 begin again in February 1935 and continue throughout the 1930s and 40s. In 1947, it was entered for competition at the Observatoire de Genève, regulated on this occasion by E. Olivier, and achieved 836 points out of a possible 1000. The movement was Observatory tested on two further occasions: March to April 1952 achieving 812.2 points and again in early 1953, regulated by François Modoux and achieving 817.3 points.
For the following thirty years, movement no. 197’917 remained in Patek Philippe’s safe until, in 1984, it was decided to finish and case a small number of historic and important watches including the present. It was highly finished and engraved with the technical details and fitted into a superb and very heavy gold case constructed with concealed hinges, a beautiful matte silvered dial with perfectly proportioned Breguet numerals accompanied by the appropriate antique style blued steel Breguet hands. Completed in 1985, the watch was given the reference 926/1 and sold for the first time in 1986 to Theodore Beyer in Zürich who in turn sold it to its first private owner in October 1989. It was subsequently purchased by the present owner in whose collection it has remained until today.
This exceptional timepiece combines all aspects of the highest quality, making it a superb example for the demanding collector: one of the most prestigious complications, the tourbillon regulator, a state of the art gold case with hidden hinges, provenance and full documentation.
Two similar tourbillon watches, no. 197’670 and no. 198’323, are in the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, described and illustrated in: Patek Philippe Watches, Volume II, 2013, p. 55-56.
The history of Patek Philippe’s Observatory trial successes is recounted in: Patek Philippe, The Authorized Biography, Nicholas Foulkes, 2016, chapter 11 “The age of the champion régleurs”, p. 219-237.