Marine timekeepers represented the most state of the art master timing systems in the late 1960s. Used on boats, train stations, and World's Fairs, this type of timing system revolutionized timekeeping to an accuracy of rating 1/10 to 1/1000 of a second per day. 

Avricoste, the watchmaker to the French navy, dates its history back to 1854 as a supplier to the French military of the most accurate modern timekeepers. In the mid 60's, the company formed a unique alliance with Patek Philippe's electronic division.

The present lot is an example of this collaboration, a piece with signatures from both makers; Patek would be the supplier of the movement and Avricost the official distributor. This master clock was likely used on a French vessel in the Marine Nationale. These clocks were used to calibrate the additional clocks aboard the vessel through a master/slave system. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clock in this configuration from these collaborations to come to auction, a rare late 20th century example of the chronometers made by the company for the French navy over its 150 years.