Very rare Swiss 18K gold complicated lever pocket watch Circa 1967

Gold open faced complicated watch by Patek Philippe
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A fine and rare Swiss 18 carat yellow gold open faced minute repeating pocket watch with perpetual calendar and moon phases, its production began in 1947 and was completed in 1967. The manual winding counterpoise lever movement with 29 jewels, wolf’s tooth winding and repeating on two gongs.
Silvered dial with applied gold baton indexes, an aperture for the months, date and days of the week at 12 o’clock, subsidiary seconds combined with phases of the moon at 6 and gold dauphine hands. The plain case with a stepped bezel and squared stepped bow, snap-on back. Case, dial and movement signed. Comes with an associated 18 carat yellow gold chain, a Patek Philippe Certificate of Origin and an Extract from the Archives.
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Diameter: 51 mm
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Signed: Patek Philippe Genève
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The linear calendar of this watch was a particularity for the US market and its case was made by Gerlach. The reference 844 was first introduced in 1965 and available until the early 2000s upon special request only. With an estimated overall production of around 80 pieces for the entire reference, this piece is a truly rare and collectable watch.
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The linear digital calendar or so-called American (perpetual) calendar is a calendar in which the date is displayed in a single linear aperture, allowing for a legible dial to be read at a glance. This type of display was invented in the early Art Deco period and is most often found in watches destined for the Anglo-American market. This kind of calendar became popular once again after the Second World War.