PATEK PHILIPPE & CO., GENÈVE | AN EXCEPTIONALLY FINE AND RARE GOLD OPEN-FACED QUARTER REPEATING KEYLESS LEVER MONTRE À TACT WITH ECCENTRIC SECONDS1861, NO. 19.850

Movement: 20''' gilded, lever escapement, wolf's tooth winding, bi-metallic compensation balance, two steel hammers striking coiled gongsDial: white enamel, Roman numerals, outer Arabic minute ring, eccentric seconds between 5 and 6 o'clockCase: 18ct gold, the back cover highly engraved with a lion and unicorn supporting a central cartouche with crest depicting an eagle, all beneath a crown and with medals to the base of the scene, the arms under a coronet of a Marquess with suspended military orders, the back mounted with decoratively engraved tact hand, back bezel engraved with touch pins, slide repeat to the band, polished gold cuvette with central aperture to connect tact mechanism to the rear-mounted hand, cuvette signed and numbered Invention & Exécution de Patek Philippe and Co., à Genève, No.19850

Captain Peter Belin
Sotheby's London, The Belin Collection, 29 November 1979, lot 187

Movement: running at time of cataloguing but would likely benefit from a service and overhaul. Winding and hand-setting smoothly, repetition operational. Repeat and a tact hand out of sync so will need re-setting. Dial: dial with faint hairline between 12 and 1 o'clock with a further scratch or possible further very faint hairline above. Otherwise dial appears to be good overall. Case: the case has slightly rubbed to the edge of the caseback but otherwise decorative scheme remains clear and well defined.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. All dimensions in catalogue descriptions are approximate. Condition reports may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, separate base(s) or dome. Watches in water-resistant cases have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant. Please note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, crystals, screws, bracelets and leather bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. In particular, please note it is the purchaser's responsibility to comply with any applicable import and export matters, particularly in relation to lots incorporating materials from endangered species.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

**Please be advised that bands made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) are not sold with the watches and are for display purposes only. We reserve the right to remove these bands prior to shipping."

Accompanied by an Extract from the Archives confirming production in 1861 and sale on 23 May 1862. The Extract further confirms the watch as a montre à tact together with the engraving of the Unicorn and Lion to the case. Designed so that the time could be determined by touch, Patek produced montre à tact watches from 1845 and introduced them to the public at the 1851 London Universal Exhibition. Patek Philippe produced a small number of watches with the 'tact' system from c. 1845 and examples were exhibited at the Universal Exhibition in 1851 (see: Patek Philippe Museum, Patek Philippe Watches, Vol. 1, p.70). The pointer affixed to the outside case back can be rotated in a clockwise direction by the user until it is halted by the watch's 'à tact' mechanism, a series of touch pins arranged at half hourly intervals around the bezel of the case back allow the time to be read. In the present watch, the addition of quarter repetition also allows a more precise determination of the time, still without the necessity of viewing the watch's dial.

The Arms are stated to probably be Vogl of Bavaria, ennobled on 4 May, 1763.

For another montre à tact by Patek, movement no. 51267, see Peter Friess, Patek Philippe Museum Emergence of the Portable Watch, Vol I, p. 70.