The term “rare” is notoriously overused in the watch world, but it perfectly describes one Patek Philippe hitting the block at Christie’s this winter.
The dual-time masterpiece (Ref. 3452/1) is one of only seven in existence and has never been seen by the public, according to the auction house. It will go under the gavel at the Important Watches auction during Luxury Week in New York in December, where it is expected to hammer down for between $800,000 and $1.6 million.
“This is one of the most important Patek Philippe watches Christie’s New York has offered in the past years, and an absolute once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for collectors to see and potentially own a watch whose very existence was previously unknown to the collecting world,” Remi Guillemin, global head of Watches at Christie’s, said in a statement.
The Ref. 3452/1 from 1961.
Christie’s
Based on a prototype that Swiss watchmaker Louis Cottier, who famously invented the world time mechanism, is believed to have made in 1954, Ref. 3452 featured an ingenious dual-dial display with two time zones (home and away) side by side. The dual time zone complication was powered by a single automatic movement—a Caliber 27-460 modified by Cottier—meaning that the twin dials could be operated in tandem or set independently. That made Patek the first manufacturer to produce a twin-dial complication without resorting to two separate movements.
Of the seven Ref. 3452, two are believed to have been made in 1960, two in 1961, and the remaining three by 1963. Research suggests that each example differs slightly in design—dial, case material, or lugs—making them technically “unique.” Made in ‘61, this particular Ref. 3452/1 is distinguished by an integrated bracelet. (The “/1,” or a backslash followed by one, in a Patek reference number means that the watch wears on a bracelet, rather than a leather strap.) It also combines 18-karat white and yellow gold. The two-toned gold bracelet and the gold on the hour track and across the “Patek Philippe” nameplate on the dial are completely unique, Christie’s says.
A close-up of the dial.
Christie’s
The original owner acquired the watch in ‘61, and it has remained in their family for two generations; thus, it is presented in what Christie’s describes as “superb overall condition.” The auction house adds that this is the first example of the reference to appear on the market in two decades, and the last of the seven examples to be unveiled.
“The watch ranks among the most intriguing discoveries in vintage complicated Patek Philippe wristwatches of the 21st Century and is arguably the most refined of the combined seven examples of Louis Cottier’s reference 3452 and 3452/1.”
The watch will be on view during Christie’s Luxury Week in Geneva and Hong Kong before returning to New York ahead of the December 4 auction.
