Swiss gold enamel ball watch studded with diamonds Circa 1866
- Kenmerk
- ST0117
- Diameter
- 22 mm
- Estimate
- € 11.000 - 18.000
- Price sold
- -
Gold ball form watch by Patek Philippe
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A rare and early Swiss yellow gold, enamel and diamond set ball form cylinder pendant watch, circa 1866. Sold on June 22nd 1867. Jewelled gilt movement, cylinder escapement, bezel wound. White enamel dial with radial Roman numerals and blued steel spade hands. Ball shaped case with raised scroll form and dot ornamentation, central blue enamel ring set with rose cut diamonds. Dial signed, movement signed and numbered, case numbered. Accompanied by an Extract from the Archives and unusual fitted Patek Philippe helmet form presentation box.
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Diameter: 22 mm
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Signed: Patek Philippe à Genève
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The very fine fitted helmet form presentation box is adorned with a factory label listing the movement number, a novel confirmation of the case’s authenticity and originality.
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Considering the age of this piece, it is remarkable that the original accompaniments have been preserved.
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In the 1878 Paris Exhibition, a showcase was devoted to these charming ball form watches. As a result of this publicity, Patek Philippe received orders for ‘Boules de Genève’ from royalty worldwide and sold similar pieces to Prince Hussein Kamil of Egypt in 1887 and to Empress Teresa of Brazil in 1888. These pieces are documented in the exhibition catalogue for the ‘Timepieces of Royalty’ exhibition at the Patek Philippe Museum fall 2005. The Museum’s permanent exhibition currently includes a few later examples of ball form watches with varying dimensions and ornamentation. It is interesting to note the present watch’s placement in the early days of Patek Philippe’s history. In 1839, Patek, Czapek & Co was founded, followed shortly by the company’s patent for the first stem wound movement. 1851 saw the firm’s transition to Patek, Philippe & Co, and a decade later, Adrien Philippe’s improvements to the crown winding system were patented. With this patent, it was only a matter of years until the first Swiss wristwatch was made by Patek Philippe in 1868, a lady’s diamond set concealed dial bracelet watch, sold to Countess Koscowitz of Hungary. Much like the present lot, the small size of this wristwatch was a feat of mechanics, as beautiful as it was technically impressive.
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The present example is signed ‘Patent’ on both the dial and the movement, a reference to the ingenious winding mechanism, which is activated by turning one hemisphere of the watch. It is possible that as no earlier examples are known, this piece may be the first piece that utilized this technique. Given that it was created not long after the perfection of the stem winding system, this novel invention illustrates the prolific creative spirit in both technology and aesthetics for which the company is still known. Furthermore, it is typical for pieces at this time to be unsigned and only given a single number, as the practice of differing case and movement numbers did not begin until approximately 1875.
–
A rare and early Swiss yellow gold, enamel and diamond set ball form cylinder pendant watch, circa 1866. Sold on June 22nd 1867. Jewelled gilt movement, cylinder escapement, bezel wound. White enamel dial with radial Roman numerals and blued steel spade hands. Ball shaped case with raised scroll form and dot ornamentation, central blue enamel ring set with rose cut diamonds. Dial signed, movement signed and numbered, case numbered. Accompanied by an Extract from the Archives and unusual fitted Patek Philippe helmet form presentation box.
–
Diameter: 22 mm
–
Signed: Patek Philippe à Genève
–
The very fine fitted helmet form presentation box is adorned with a factory label listing the movement number, a novel confirmation of the case’s authenticity and originality.
–
Considering the age of this piece, it is remarkable that the original accompaniments have been preserved.
–
In the 1878 Paris Exhibition, a showcase was devoted to these charming ball form watches. As a result of this publicity, Patek Philippe received orders for ‘Boules de Genève’ from royalty worldwide and sold similar pieces to Prince Hussein Kamil of Egypt in 1887 and to Empress Teresa of Brazil in 1888. These pieces are documented in the exhibition catalogue for the ‘Timepieces of Royalty’ exhibition at the Patek Philippe Museum fall 2005. The Museum’s permanent exhibition currently includes a few later examples of ball form watches with varying dimensions and ornamentation. It is interesting to note the present watch’s placement in the early days of Patek Philippe’s history. In 1839, Patek, Czapek & Co was founded, followed shortly by the company’s patent for the first stem wound movement. 1851 saw the firm’s transition to Patek, Philippe & Co, and a decade later, Adrien Philippe’s improvements to the crown winding system were patented. With this patent, it was only a matter of years until the first Swiss wristwatch was made by Patek Philippe in 1868, a lady’s diamond set concealed dial bracelet watch, sold to Countess Koscowitz of Hungary. Much like the present lot, the small size of this wristwatch was a feat of mechanics, as beautiful as it was technically impressive.
–
The present example is signed ‘Patent’ on both the dial and the movement, a reference to the ingenious winding mechanism, which is activated by turning one hemisphere of the watch. It is possible that as no earlier examples are known, this piece may be the first piece that utilized this technique. Given that it was created not long after the perfection of the stem winding system, this novel invention illustrates the prolific creative spirit in both technology and aesthetics for which the company is still known. Furthermore, it is typical for pieces at this time to be unsigned and only given a single number, as the practice of differing case and movement numbers did not begin until approximately 1875.
Signed: Patek Philippe à Genève
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