Patek Philippe

As the pinnacle of haute horology, Patek Philippe is dedicated to preserving the ancient techniques and savoir faire of craftsmen that have been used to decorate timepieces for centuries. The Rare Handcrafts collection was born from the objective to safeguard these ancestral skills for the future by ensuring these fine crafts are practiced and showcased before they reach the brink of extinction. One such example of a lineup of peculiar timepieces that would have otherwise gone extinct had Patek Philppe not poured their efforts into is the Pendulette Dôme or Dome Clocks. 

Introduced in the second half of the 20th century, the Pendulette Dôme started to appear in the Patek Philippe catalogues as Pièce Uniques featuring exceptional artisanship highlighting the art of cloisonné enamel. The domed design harks back to the days where chronometric competitions at astronomical observatories became the barometer with which watchmakers promoted the accuracy of the watches they produced. While the advent of Quartz watches rendered these competitions obsolete, precision timekeeping had become irrevocably linked with astronomical observatories that are known for their domed architecture. The cupolas of the astronomical observatories are what inspired Patek Philippe in their design of the Pendulette Dôme.

The first series of the Pendulette Dôme featured the mechanical 17’’’250 E movement pioneered by Patek Philippe that is powered by a solar panel in the dome. The solar panel supplies power to the cylindrical storage device that transmits energy to wind the movement. By the 1970s, dome clocks were equipped with Quartz movements and featured smaller solar panels, which became even smaller in the 1990s. Subsequent Dome Clocks have much smaller solar panels until they were phased out from 2007 onwards. 

Patek Philippe’s strategy of preserving savoir faire closely associated with the traditions of the city of Geneva, made the brand one of the sole stewards of the crafts of miniature painting, engraving, and enameling, by supporting their dwindling number of artisans. The Dome Clock was one of the models that places the handicraft of Patek Philippe artisans center stage. 

Cloisonné enamel is the oldest enamelling technique and can be traced back to the jewelry in the Ancient Near East with the earliest undisputed enamel objects being discovered in modern day Cyprus. Cloisonné enamel involves shaping fine gold wires to define the contours of the chosen design, these wires are then soldered onto the surface of a plate, and the areas within are subsequently filled with powdered glass, undergoing multiple rounds of firing. Curved surfaces such as the one seen on Dome Clocks require more technical know-how in order to control temperature, and understanding how the powdered enamel glass might react in the kiln comes from years of experience. 

Our present lot offered in beautiful condition and accompanied by its original papers is a marvelous example of the beloved Pendulette Dôme. Signed by Master Enameller Madame Luce Chappaz, it features a whimsical scene from an imaginary circus pieced together in a kaleidoscope of colors. Luce Chappaz was a Master Enameller working mostly for Patek Philippe from the mid-20th century. Her signature is found from the late 1950s to the early 1990s not only on dome clocks, but also on pocket watches and wristwatch dials. During the four decades she worked for Patek Philippe, her signature has been found on around 50 examples of enamelled art. Along with Madame Suzanne Rohr and Madame Elizabeth Perusset Lagger she is remembered as one of the most prominent enamellers at Patek Philippe.