Patek Philippe

damascened nickel lever movement, stamped twice with the seal of Geneva, 18 jewels, mono-metallic compensation balance, adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, precision regulator, silvered dial, applied faceted baton numerals, subsidiary seconds, circular case with satin finished sides, flat polished bezel and down-turned lugs, case, dial and movement signed, with a stainless steel Patek buckle, accompanied by an Extract from the Archives.

The accompanying Extract from the Patek Philippe Archives confirms that this wristwatch was manufactured in 1956 and sold on April 28th, 1958.

Named after the symbol of Patek Philippe, the ornate 'Calatrava' cross, this model type first appeared in 1932, the same year the company was sold to the Stern family. The Wall Street Crash of 1929 and the ensuing Worldwide economic depression slowed sales at Patek Philippe. Charles Stern, one of the brothers who purchased the company, set out to design a new model to revive Patek Philippe's market. The model, later named the 'Calatrava', was elegantly simple in design and its round style was an instant success. Arguably the most classic of all Patek Philippe's case designs, it exists in at least 30 different models in a variety of case metals, each with their own individual character.  Very rarely found in platinum, there are approximately 10 second series examples known from the market.