Patek automatic
Patek automatic
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This is a very special watch, a 1960s Patek Philippe automatic. The watch has a beautiful and weighty 18 carat gold case with a screw down case back. The case is very elegant with the winding crown neatly integrated into the body (obviously being an automatic watch there was less need to access the crown for daily winding).
This watch is powered by Patek’s 12-460M movement, this was really a masterpiece of mid-20th century watchmaking, as the watchmaker Walt Odets describes is, “ In concept, in construction, and in finish, this is perhaps the most elaborate and costly simple automatic watch movement ever produced.” The movement has been fully serviced and is in tip-top condition and running excellently (timekeeping is superb for a watch that’s nearly 50 years old). One thing that’s surprising about the Patek automatic movement is the use of a massive 18 carat gold rotor. The reason Patek used gold was purely for it’s weight - the rotor is invisible locked inside the case. This is surely one of the most extraordinary cases of disregarding the expense in pursuit of perfection!
The gold dial has a typical 1960s linen finish, it’s co-signed “Arte Suizo” who were a famous Patek Philippe retailer in Colombia.
Patek Philippe are considered the pinnacle of mechanical watchmaking - famous for their adherence to the finest standards. This is a lovely example of their 1960s output - an 18 carat gold case housing an automatic mechanical movement with the useful addition of a date. Automatic winding with date display is essentially all you could want in a watch whether you wear it daily or preserve it just for special occasions. The watch is slightly larger than most 60s Patek’s at 36mm making it well suited to contemporary taste. There is a little scratching to the case back, but we have left this rather than polishing and losing some of the sharpness of the case edges.
The watch is obviously represents a substantial investment, but one which will give many years of pleasure to the owner and which is unlikely to decrease in value over the years. The watch comes with an extract from the Patek Philippe archives which confirms the production date and details of the case and movement.
Simply a superb watch, please make an appointment if you’d like to come to our Oxo shop to view it.
Specifications:
Case diameter (excluding winding crown): 36mm
Case material: 18 carat yellow gold
Strap width: 18mm
Time keeping: grade A+
Patek 12-460M
