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Lot Essay
With Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch in 1963 and its subsequent sale on 8 January 1981.
This rose gold reference 2597 "travel time" is one of the rarest types of Patek Philippe wristwatches ever. Despite the genius yet simple mechanism, this model was not enjoying much commercial success and Patek Philippe stopped its production swiftly. As a matter of fact, it should not surprise to see that the present example remained unsold for an astounding 18 years between its manufacturing in 1963 and date of sale in 1981.
Fresh to the market, the present watch was treated for the last 30 years with utmost care and respect, resulting in it being today in spectacular, unworn and unpolished condition.
Reference 2597 was made in two versions, the first features an independently adjustable hour hand whereas the second, such as the present watch, includes an additional hour hand. To date, a total of only 5 examples in pink gold with three hands are known to the market, the present example being the most exclusive as it is the only one known featuring luminous hands.
With the arrival of transatlantic flights with jet aircrafts in the 1950s, the need for a watch showing both local and home time increased. Various attempts were made but none could compete with Louis Cottier's elegant solution developed for Patek Philippe. The main problem was the setting of the hours independently of the minutes, allowing travellers the easy and quick adjustment the hour indication to their local time zone without losing the correct time in minutes.
Cottier's design enabled the moving of the cannon and consequently the hour and in 12 steps around a 12-pointed star-wheel driven by the motion work. By pushing the two correction buttons in the band, the position of the hand can be changed in either direction by exactly one hour while maintaining its correct relationship to the minute hand.
This patented wheel train is today the basis of Patek Philippe's Travel Time watch, Ref. 5034, launched in 1997.
Examples of both versions of reference 2597 are illustrated in Patek Philippe Wristwatches by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, second edition, pp. 238 & 239.
This rose gold reference 2597 "travel time" is one of the rarest types of Patek Philippe wristwatches ever. Despite the genius yet simple mechanism, this model was not enjoying much commercial success and Patek Philippe stopped its production swiftly. As a matter of fact, it should not surprise to see that the present example remained unsold for an astounding 18 years between its manufacturing in 1963 and date of sale in 1981.
Fresh to the market, the present watch was treated for the last 30 years with utmost care and respect, resulting in it being today in spectacular, unworn and unpolished condition.
Reference 2597 was made in two versions, the first features an independently adjustable hour hand whereas the second, such as the present watch, includes an additional hour hand. To date, a total of only 5 examples in pink gold with three hands are known to the market, the present example being the most exclusive as it is the only one known featuring luminous hands.
With the arrival of transatlantic flights with jet aircrafts in the 1950s, the need for a watch showing both local and home time increased. Various attempts were made but none could compete with Louis Cottier's elegant solution developed for Patek Philippe. The main problem was the setting of the hours independently of the minutes, allowing travellers the easy and quick adjustment the hour indication to their local time zone without losing the correct time in minutes.
Cottier's design enabled the moving of the cannon and consequently the hour and in 12 steps around a 12-pointed star-wheel driven by the motion work. By pushing the two correction buttons in the band, the position of the hand can be changed in either direction by exactly one hour while maintaining its correct relationship to the minute hand.
This patented wheel train is today the basis of Patek Philippe's Travel Time watch, Ref. 5034, launched in 1997.
Examples of both versions of reference 2597 are illustrated in Patek Philippe Wristwatches by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, second edition, pp. 238 & 239.