Rare Swiss gold deck watch with centre seconds Circa 1895

Pink gold deck watch with open face by Patek Philippe
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An extremely rare Swiss Geneva deck watch with centre seconds, circa 1895. The watch has an 18K pink gold case and both the case and movement have a matching number. It features a Patek Philippe precision lever movement with a fine adjusting device, wolf’s toothing, Geneva stripes, and a double signature from Patek Philippe and Shreve & Co. San Francisco. The original enamel dial is perfectly preserved and has a rare design with 1/5 seconds division for reading the centre seconds for observation purposes. The dial also has blued steel hands and is signed: Geo. C. Shreve & Co. San Fransisco.
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Diameter: 48 mm
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Weight: 87 g
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Signed: Patek Philippe and Shreve & Co. San Francisco
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Centre seconds Patek Philippe pocket watches are extremely rare and highly sought-after collector’s items.
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Shreve & Co. is an American jewellery and watches store established in 1852 by brothers Samuel and George Shreve. The company was later converted into a stock corporation where the majority of shares belonged to George Rodman Shreve, while Albert J. Lewis acted as its president. In 1894, George Rodman Shreve took over the management of the company. After the death of the two founders, George Shreve’s son continued running the business.
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In March 1906, the company moved to its new home on Post Street in San Francisco. A month later, on April 18, 1906, a devastating earthquake struck San Francisco. Despite the catastrophic earthquake and subsequent fire, the nine-story building of Shreve & Co. survived almost unscathed. The company then temporarily moved to Oakland for two years while the building in San Francisco underwent renovations.
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During the First World War, Shreve & Co. shifted production and manufactured aircraft parts for the US government. After the war, the company returned to its core business of selling luxury goods.
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In 1967, Shreve & Co. was acquired by Dayton-Hudson Corporation, marking the end of the company’s existence as a family business.