PATEK PHILIPPE
AN EXTREMELY WELL PRESERVED, HIGHLY IMPORTANT AND HISTORIC 18K GOLD SPLIT SECONDS CHRONOGRAPH WRISTWATCH WITH BREGUET NUMERALS, SOLD TO LEGENDARY COLLECTOR HENRY GRAVES JR.
REF. 1436, MANUFACTURED IN 1946
MOVEMENT: Manual
DIAL: Silvered with Breguet numerals
CASE: 33 mm. diam.
WITH: 18k gold Patek Philippe buckle, Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives
REMARK: Exceptional provenance, extraordinary condition
Estimate: HKD 12,000,000 - 24,000,000 • € 1.392.211 - 2.784.717
Christie’s are extremely honoured and excited to be able to offer to our clients, international collectors and all admirers of Patek Philippe a superlative vintage Patek Philippe wristwatch formerly from the collection of the legendary collector Henry Graves Jr. – the reference 1436J splitseconds chronograph. Not seen in public for over a decade, this world-class trophy watch has since been one of the bright stars of an exceptional private watch collection. In the world of watches there is no provenance stronger or more desirable than that of Henry Graves Jr. arguably the most important and prolific watch collector of the 20th century. A provenance to perhaps Patek Philippe’s greatest ever client immediately tells even the casual observer that they are beholding a very special timepiece indeed, one of the best of the best. With the finest pedigree, historical importance and overall fantastic original condition, this watch represents the all too rare opportunity to add a supreme Patek Philippe vintage masterpiece to any distinguished collection.
Unknown until its emergence from the estate of Graves’s grandson, Reginald H. Fullerton, Jr. in 2012, the present watch is also remarkable for its wonderful condition and can be considered as one of the finest examples of reference 1436 to ever appear on the market. Reginald ‘Pete’ Fullerton was as fastidious a collector as his grandfather and insisted that no elements of the dials or cases of his watches were ever changed or restored during services at Patek Philippe. This philosophy is perfectly demonstrated by the present watch, the case retains its full proportions and displays remarkably crisp and clear hallmarks, furthermore the gold has acquired the deep patina of time that is so highly prized by collectors, further attesting to its untouched and original state of preservation. The dial features the rarely seen applied gold Breguet numerals, arguably the most attractive dial variation and the least made dial type for this reference, most examples featuring either baton or combined baton and Arabic numerals. According to our research, only around a dozen reference 1436 are known publicly with Breguet numeral dial. Attesting that the watch was destined for the American market, the movement bears the ‘HOX’ stamp on the balance bridge.
The Dial
Made by Stern Frères, solid gold base plate, matte finish, applied yellow gold Breguet numerals, champlevé black hard enamel outer minute track, tachymeter scale and subsidiary dials, gold ‘feuille’ hour and minute hands. The enamelled outer railway minute scale, tachymeter, signature and subsidiary dials were first engraved by hand by an engraver artist., the enameller would then fill the engravings and “bake” the dial at around 900 degrees. The back of the present dial carries the correct coding: ‘93’ for the client, in this instance Patek Philippe and ‘177’ as the order number when it was requested. The celebrated Stern Frères turned the dial production into a real art. The present example is a paradigm of simplicity and elegance.
The Case
Made by Emile Vichet, three-piece 18K yellow gold with snap on back and snap on bezel, Inside case back with the maker’s signature, punched by Patek Philippe, Switzerland designation always at the same position and punched at the same time as the signature, Swiss “Helvetia” hallmark, 18K/0.750 for the gold title punched by the casemaker, case number generally punched by the casemaker following Patek Philippe’s instructions. Two Swiss gold hallmarks on the main body, the head of Helvetia and the “G” for Geneva underneath, one placed on the side of the lower right hand lug, the other on the main body. The underside of the bezel is scratched the last three digits of the case number.
Reference 1436
Distinguished by its outstanding quality and elegance of design, the reference 1436 is among the pinnacles of Patek Philippe’s mid-century production and the first split-seconds chronograph to be produced in series. The design of the dial is very pleasing to the eye with prominence given to the tachymeter scale and the applied numerals. The split-seconds chronograph function enables the timing of two events at the same time, for instance two cars racing, and has a 30-minute counter for single events of longer than one minute in duration.
Only 140 examples of reference 1436 were ever made in the approximately 33 year production period from 1938 until it was discontinued in 1971. The present watch is one of only 59 examples in yellow gold known publicly today. Reference 1436 was made in two generations with different construction in regard to the operation of the chronograph function. For the first generation made until the late 1940s, the crown serves as a button to split and reunite the two seconds hand. The second generation was fitted with a co-axial push button within the crown for the split seconds function.
Provenance:
Henry Graves, Jr. (1868-1953)
Gwendolen Graves Fullerton (1903-1969), his daughter
Reginald ‘Pete’ H. Fullerton, Jr. (1933-2012), his grandson Sotheby’s New York, Watches from the Collection of the Late Reginald H. Fullerton, Jr. and his Grandfather Henry Graves Jr., 14 June 2012, lot 14
The Property of an Important Private Collector
Literature:
For further examples of the reference 1436, see: Huber, M. & Banbery, A., Patek Philippe Wristwatches, Volume 2, Second Edition, pp. 272-274.
A Grand Complication, The Race to Build the World’s most Legendary Watch, Stacy Perman, Simon & Schuster, 2013.
Ref. 1436 is illustrated in the ‘Blue Book 1’, 2018 edition by Eric Tortella, page 409