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Lot Essay
The most surprising feature of the present watch is its size, 25.6 mm, slightly more than the American nickel illustrated next to it. To the best of our knowledge there is no other known Patek & Czapek as small.
At the time it took Antoine Norbert de Patek five years to make a similar one. He made it when he was already with a new partner, Adrien Philippe (now in the Patek Philippe Museum). The present watch was so remarkable that Czapek, who finished it himself, scratched his name on the reverse of the dial, making sure that the posterity will know who was responsible for such a marvel (fig. 1). The front is engraved with a winged cherub’s head surmounted by seven stars within foliage and scrolls. The mystery of the seven stars is explained by Jesus Christ himself in Revelation 1:20 relayed by Saint John, “The mystery of the seven stars… The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches…”. The seven brightest stars have been associated with angels who guard the most important seven early Christian churches (fig. 2). The winged cherub on the dial (fig. 3) represents them and guards the owner of the watch.
The high relief of the case decoration found in this watch is equally rare for Patek watches. Very few of them are known and the present is believed to be the earliest one. The next known Patek Philippe watch with high-relief decoration, no. 3925, was made nine years later, in 1850, when the company had already changed its name to Patek, Philippe & Co. (now in the Patek Philippe Museum).
The present back cover is decorated in high relief with allegorical flower stem that begins with acanthus and ends with Lilies of the valley. The Lilies of the valley (the tears of Virgin Mary pouring out while she was witnessing the crucifixion) - symbolize humility – a self-restrain, distancing oneself from vanity1. The acanthus has been an allegory of immortality and a long life. The longevity’s allegorical element is enforced by a surprising part of the watch – the setting of the gemstones on the case back - which are finished as snake heads (fig. 5 & 6), another symbol of immortality, rebirth and healing.
The case is in an excellent condition, the lift spring works well, the covers are tight, and the definition of the coin edge and decoration is high.
The 10 lignes movement with a diameter of 22.56 mm. is stamped with the serial number 489 and Patek & Czapek’s trade mark “P, C” (fig. 4). It is in excellent condition and keeps reasonable time.
To truly appreciate the small size of the watch one needs to understand the degree of difficulty with making a small watch versus a larger one.
In the early 1830s, when Breguet began making small, time-only watches, the company priced them between 3000 and 4000 francs. For that money one could have bought a large, heavy gold watch combining repetition, alarm and calendar, as for instance, No. 3524 of 23 lignes sold in March 1833 for 3000 francs2.
Only the wealthiest could have afforded these small watches. The list of buyers of those miniature marvels from Breguet matches the “Who is Who” of the European 19th century including Queen Victoria, Infante d'Espagne, Comte Fersen, Comte Potocki, Baron Schickler, Count Demidoff, etc.
COMPARABLE OBJECTS
A comparative analysis of similar watches cannot be done because no other watch like this one is known. The closest watches that appeared on the market are the small Breguet timepieces mentioned above. For instance, Breguet No. 7, a small watch in a gold case from 1835, was auctioned in Geneva in 1991 for 180,000CHF3.
Another small Breguet, No. 5012, from 1833, was sold by Christie’s, New York on 26 October 1987, lot 432, for US$44,000. That was at the time when a Patek Philippe minute repeating split seconds chronograph sold for US$7,700. The same watch today costs around US$30,000. Extrapolating, the watch today would be worth around US$170,000. There are at least six of these small Breguet pieces known, but there is only one watch as small from the earliest period of Patek Philippe’s history, it is the present example.
CONCLUSION
Patek Philippe & Co., one of the two most important watch companies in existence, considers itself a natural continuation of Patek & Czapek’s company4. Its early watches are extremely rare, only 48 are known to have survive, including the present5. It is unique for the high relief decoration, unknown in any other, it is unique for its allegorical significance, also not known in early Patek watches, the excellent condition and especially for the unique small size, the smallest known Patek from the earliest period of the firm’s history.
1 Iconologia by Cezare Ripa, Rome, 1603
2 Watch The Difference by Philip Poniz, VOX, Geneva, Summer 2003, pp. 66-67.
3 Antiquorum, April 14, 1991, lot 95.
4 So did Czapek & Cie, who started his new numbering system from what he left at Patek & Czapek.
5 The last serial number of Patek & Czapek known is 1161 (Patek Philippe Museum, Inv. P-607). However, Antoine Patek himself, in 1849, stated that the company has produced only 789 pieces (manuscript from upcoming Patek Philippe, The Forgotten Beginnings, Part II, by Philip Poniz).
At the time it took Antoine Norbert de Patek five years to make a similar one. He made it when he was already with a new partner, Adrien Philippe (now in the Patek Philippe Museum). The present watch was so remarkable that Czapek, who finished it himself, scratched his name on the reverse of the dial, making sure that the posterity will know who was responsible for such a marvel (fig. 1). The front is engraved with a winged cherub’s head surmounted by seven stars within foliage and scrolls. The mystery of the seven stars is explained by Jesus Christ himself in Revelation 1:20 relayed by Saint John, “The mystery of the seven stars… The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches…”. The seven brightest stars have been associated with angels who guard the most important seven early Christian churches (fig. 2). The winged cherub on the dial (fig. 3) represents them and guards the owner of the watch.
The high relief of the case decoration found in this watch is equally rare for Patek watches. Very few of them are known and the present is believed to be the earliest one. The next known Patek Philippe watch with high-relief decoration, no. 3925, was made nine years later, in 1850, when the company had already changed its name to Patek, Philippe & Co. (now in the Patek Philippe Museum).
The present back cover is decorated in high relief with allegorical flower stem that begins with acanthus and ends with Lilies of the valley. The Lilies of the valley (the tears of Virgin Mary pouring out while she was witnessing the crucifixion) - symbolize humility – a self-restrain, distancing oneself from vanity1. The acanthus has been an allegory of immortality and a long life. The longevity’s allegorical element is enforced by a surprising part of the watch – the setting of the gemstones on the case back - which are finished as snake heads (fig. 5 & 6), another symbol of immortality, rebirth and healing.
The case is in an excellent condition, the lift spring works well, the covers are tight, and the definition of the coin edge and decoration is high.
The 10 lignes movement with a diameter of 22.56 mm. is stamped with the serial number 489 and Patek & Czapek’s trade mark “P, C” (fig. 4). It is in excellent condition and keeps reasonable time.
To truly appreciate the small size of the watch one needs to understand the degree of difficulty with making a small watch versus a larger one.
In the early 1830s, when Breguet began making small, time-only watches, the company priced them between 3000 and 4000 francs. For that money one could have bought a large, heavy gold watch combining repetition, alarm and calendar, as for instance, No. 3524 of 23 lignes sold in March 1833 for 3000 francs2.
Only the wealthiest could have afforded these small watches. The list of buyers of those miniature marvels from Breguet matches the “Who is Who” of the European 19th century including Queen Victoria, Infante d'Espagne, Comte Fersen, Comte Potocki, Baron Schickler, Count Demidoff, etc.
COMPARABLE OBJECTS
A comparative analysis of similar watches cannot be done because no other watch like this one is known. The closest watches that appeared on the market are the small Breguet timepieces mentioned above. For instance, Breguet No. 7, a small watch in a gold case from 1835, was auctioned in Geneva in 1991 for 180,000CHF3.
Another small Breguet, No. 5012, from 1833, was sold by Christie’s, New York on 26 October 1987, lot 432, for US$44,000. That was at the time when a Patek Philippe minute repeating split seconds chronograph sold for US$7,700. The same watch today costs around US$30,000. Extrapolating, the watch today would be worth around US$170,000. There are at least six of these small Breguet pieces known, but there is only one watch as small from the earliest period of Patek Philippe’s history, it is the present example.
CONCLUSION
Patek Philippe & Co., one of the two most important watch companies in existence, considers itself a natural continuation of Patek & Czapek’s company4. Its early watches are extremely rare, only 48 are known to have survive, including the present5. It is unique for the high relief decoration, unknown in any other, it is unique for its allegorical significance, also not known in early Patek watches, the excellent condition and especially for the unique small size, the smallest known Patek from the earliest period of the firm’s history.
1 Iconologia by Cezare Ripa, Rome, 1603
2 Watch The Difference by Philip Poniz, VOX, Geneva, Summer 2003, pp. 66-67.
3 Antiquorum, April 14, 1991, lot 95.
4 So did Czapek & Cie, who started his new numbering system from what he left at Patek & Czapek.
5 The last serial number of Patek & Czapek known is 1161 (Patek Philippe Museum, Inv. P-607). However, Antoine Patek himself, in 1849, stated that the company has produced only 789 pieces (manuscript from upcoming Patek Philippe, The Forgotten Beginnings, Part II, by Philip Poniz).