Swiss 18 carat gold complicated watch by Patek Philippe Circa 1907

Gold complicated pocket watch
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A Swiss 18 carat yellow gold complicated watch with split seconds chronograph, perpetual calendar, date, days of the week, months, moon phases and minute repeater by Patek Philippe, circa 1907. Signed movement with manual winding with crown and Geneva striping decoration, 19 lines, lever escapement, bimetallic compensation balance balance, Breguet balance spring, micrometric adjustment, two hammer chime on gong.
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Round gold case, hinged, gold cuvette bearing the inscriptions Made for Artemas Roscoe Roberts Waco, Texas 1913 by Patek Philippe & Co Geneva Switzerland, slide on the case band for the minute repeater, polychrome enamel initials on the back.
White enamel signed dial, Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic for the minutes, railway minute track with 1/5th of a second graduation, double hand for the split-seconds chronograph, 3 auxiliary dials for indicating the months, date and days of the week, auxiliary seconds and aperture for the phases and ages of the moon.
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Diameter: 53 mm
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Weight: 158.5 g
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Signed: Patek Philippe & Cie Genève
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Comes with a certificate of origin and guarantee, an extract from the Patek Philippe registers confirming the production date in 1907 and its sale on 13.06.1913 and a wooden case.
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“Grande Complication” watches produced by Patek Philippe between 1895 and 1970. These watches, a great horological feat, most often combine particularly sophisticated complications: perpetual calendar and moon phases, split seconds chronograph and minute repeater. Our example is similar to the production delivered to the American market at the beginning of the 20th century. From 1890, the Geneva manufacturer acquired a significant clientele across the Atlantic, notably thanks to its partnership with the prestigious retailer Tiffany & Co.
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The first owner of this watch was the American architect Artemus Roberts (1841 – 1944), whose name is engraved on the gold bowl. Born in 1841 in Indiana, Artemus Roberts settled in Lincoln, in the heart of Nebraska, where he opened his architectural firm. In 1887, he joined forces with the architect Alfred W. Woods and founded “Roberts & Woods Architects”. This collaboration gave rise to many architectural achievements, including Fairview House, their most famous achievement since it was designed for one of the most influential politicians of his time: William Jennings Bryan, the Democratic candidate in the presidential elections of 1896, 1900 and 1908. Artemus Roberts’ many constructions in the city of Lincoln, and more widely in Nebraska, made him extremely popular and a recognized personality in his home state. Thus, on October 27, 1941, the Lincoln Evening State Journal devoted an article to him on the eve of his 100th birthday. Artemus Roberts died in 1943 at the age of 102 in Florida. His watch, in a beautiful state of preservation, is accompanied by its period case as well as its certificate of origin. It is extremely rare for watches of such high quality to always be accompanied by all their period accessories and documents. At the beginning of the 20th century.

Patek Philippe had a large American clientele; while the names of James Ward Packard and Henry Graves Jr. remain the most famous, other great enthusiasts have also worn the brand across the Atlantic. Artemus Roberts, whose personal history is closely linked to that of the United States, is one of them, and his watch is a museum-quality piece comparable to those exhibited today at the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. This collector’s item is one of the most marvellous “Grande Complication” watches produced by Patek Philippe between 1895 and 1970. These watches, of great horological prowess, usually combine particularly sophisticated complications: perpetual calendar and phases of the Moon, chronograph with split-seconds and minute repeater. Our example can be compared with the production delivered to the American market at the beginning of the 20th century. As early as 1890, the Geneva manufacture acquired a substantial clientele.