Swiss minute repeating perpetual calendar watch Circa 1938

Gold repeating calendar watch with moon phases by Patek Philippe & Co.
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A rare and fine Swiss gold keyless open faced minute repeating perpetual calendar lever watch with moon phases, circa 1938. The rare watch features a damascened movement with a lever escapement, wolf’s tooth winding, jewelled centre, bimetallic compensation balance, two polished hammers repeating on coiled gongs, and is signed and numbered by Patek Philippe & Co., Genève, with the serial number 860860. It has a gold dial with applied gold Roman and baton hour indexes, four sunken subsidiary dials for day, and month with leap year indication, date, and combined seconds with an aperture for moon phases. The watch also includes gold baton hands and is housed in an 18k gold case with a scooped bezel, satin-finished sides, snap-on satin-finished back, repeating slide to the band, and 3 recessed calendar adjusters. It is also signed and numbered by Patek Philippe & Co., Genève, Swiss, with the serial number 619395.
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The watch is accompanied by an extract from the archives confirming its production in 1938 with a gold dial and its sale on February 20, 1940.
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Diameter: 47.5mm
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Signed: Patek Philippe & Co., Genève
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The movement displays minor oxidation spots on some bridges. It operates smoothly and produces a clear and loud sound. The calendar functions are advancing, but there is an issue with the date changing over to the new month. The month indication does not always advance right away and does not seem to correctly accommodate the lengths of the months as indicated on the dial. Adjustment is needed. The dial exhibits some light oxidation, a few surface debris, and some small scratches, but it still maintains a good lustre. The case shows some light scuffs and scratches. The pendant has a clear hallmark, and the repeating slide is solid and functioning well.
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While Patek Philippe only produced a small number of pocket watches in the 1930s, their dedication to creating technically complex timepieces remained unwavering. The present lot exemplifies Patek Philippe’s exceptional Reference 699, featuring a clean dial design, a bell-shaped pendant, and a combination of Roman numeral and baton indexes. The minute-repeating perpetual calendar movement is housed in an attractive satin-finished case with a scooped bezel.
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The company also created two other variations of the reference 699: Ref 699/2 contains an American calendar triple window instead of the radial display for day, date, and month indication, while Ref 699/3 features a two-train movement and trip-repeating activated through the crown.