PATEK PHILIPPE | SET OF THREE GOLD AND ENAMEL LIGHTERS CIRCA 1980

Made in the 1970s to compliment the ellipse range of watches, the lighters were most probably commissioned by Patek Philippe from the specialist lighter manufacturer Colibri. Literature of the period advertises each lighter as being individually numbered and unique, made entirely by hand out of 18k gold including both the case and mechanism. Colibri would have been the obvious choice for Patek Philippe, with facilities to manufacture high-quality gas lighters in France, Colibri were world-leaders in their field. Of potential interest, it was Colibri who made the highly ingenious golden gun which was assembled from a Colibri 88 lighter, cigarette case, cuff links and a fountain pen in the 1974 James Bond movie ‘The Man with the Golden Gun.’

Research would suggest fewer than 500 Patek Philippe golden ellipse lighters were manufactured in total during the 1970s.