Patek Philippe

18k, damascened nickel lever movement with wolf's tooth winding, 18 jewels, bi-metallic compensation balance, adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, silvered sectored dial with applied gold baton numerals at the quarters, gold feuille hands, circular case with satin finished sides and flat polished bezel, case, dial and movement signed, accompanied by and Extract from the Archives.

This wristwatch is published in Negretti, G., Gencini, F, I Signori del Tempo, p.184 together with a movement detail.

The accompanying Extract from the Patek Philippe Archives confirms that the movement of this wristwatch was manufactured between 1923 and 1929, cased and completed in 1934 and sold on February 21st, 1935.

The very high quality movement used in the present wristwatch is of 'Gondolo' standard. It belongs to the second series of reference 96 production and incorporates straight centre seconds rather than indirect centre seconds. Patek Philippe modified the calibre 12/120 in this wristwatch to incorporate the centre seconds work under the dial. Where centre seconds are used in early examples of reference 96, it is more usual to find indirect centre seconds, which could be more easily added to the back plate of the movement. Consequently, the movement of this wristwatch is very rarely found in this model; indeed, only 11 yellow gold examples of the reference using this movement are publicly known.