Lot Description
The Patek Philippe observatory tourbillon pocket watch represents one of the most important horological creations of the 20th century from the Geneva manufacture. While around 100 observatory chronometers were made since the 1860s, most of them were never sold to the public. It is assumed that as few as 10 pieces ever made it to the market.
The present example is a reference 966, of which 8 pieces were made into the 1980s. Although the majority of movements can be dated to the 1920s and 1930s, the 1980s gold cases of the reference 966J were made by the famous casemaker Jean-Pierre Hagmann, as the ‘JHP’ hallmark on the outer case lid indicates.
Based on the movement number, this specific movement was produced in 1928/29 and cased in the 1980s as one of the final observatory tourbillon chronometers ever made by Patek Philippe. In March 2000, it was finally sold by the famous retailer Beyer in Zurich to a private individual.
As the name indicates, these pieces were originally developed and regulated for observatory time-trial competitions — rigorous precision benchmarks of the era — and only later cased for private ownership. For example, one model bearing movement number 198’312 was entered into the 1929 Geneva Observatory trials and won first prize. Immaculate in condition and accompanied by a full set with all the documentation one could wish for, this Patek Philippe tourbillon chronometer pocket watch presents an exceedingly rare opportunity to own one of the brand’s most historically significant pieces.
Reasons to Bid
The Patek Philippe observatory tourbillon pocket watch represents one of the most important horological creations of the 20th century from the Geneva manufacture. While around 100 observatory chronometers were made since the 1860s, most of them were never sold to the public. It is assumed that as few as 10 pieces ever made it to the market. The present example is a reference 966, of which 8 pieces were made into the 1980s. Although the majority of movements can be dated to the 1920s and 1930s, the 1980s gold cases of the reference 966J were made by the famous casemaker Jean-Pierre Hagmann, as the ‘JHP’ hallmark on the outer case lid indicates. Based on the movement number, this specific movement was produced in 1928/29 and cased in the 1980s as one of the final observatory tourbillon chronometers ever made by Patek Philippe. In March 2000, it was finally sold by the famous retailer Beyer in Zurich to a private individual. As the name indicates, these pieces were originally developed and regulated for observatory time-trial competitions — rigorous precision benchmarks of the era — and only later cased for private ownership. For example, one model bearing movement number 198’312 was entered into the 1929 Geneva Observatory trials and won first prize. Immaculate in condition and accompanied by a full set with all the documentation one could wish for, this Patek Philippe tourbillon chronometer pocket watch presents an exceedingly rare opportunity to own one of the brand’s most historically significant pieces.
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