Swiss 18K gold miniature Lépine for the Polish market Circa 1846

Gold and enamel rare ladies’ watch 
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A unique Swiss 18 carat gold and enamel miniature Lépine pocket watch from the early days of Patek Philippe, circa 1846. Made for the Polish market. The case has a polychrome enamel painting of a Polish noble couple on the back, a reeded band and signed and numbered cuvette. Screwed white enamel dial with Roman hour numerals, an outer minute track and steel moon hands. The signed bar movement with a cylinder escapement.
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Diameter: 25 mm
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Weight: 12 g
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Signed: Czapek i Spólka
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In the early days of the company, still under the name Patek & Czapek and Patek & Cie, Patek Philippe had already specialized in miniature watches. They supplied the noble houses of Europe with their enamelled gold miniature watches.
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The most famous of these watches was No. 2064, sold at a Geneva auction in 2004 for more than CHF 55,000. At that time, it was the smallest watch in the world!
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After ending the Patek & Czapek partnership in 1845, they supplied the same customers of their most important market, Poland, under the name “Patek I Spółka” and “Czapek I Spólka” for the following years as competitors with watches of the same quality.