We are working with a UK based collector who has asked us to market a selection of his watches. As part of the offer each watch has had a full service and refurbishment by the UK’s leading watchmaker, Steven Hale Watch Restoration. Each watch will come with a 2 year guarantee from Steve Hale and a lifetime guarantee on the authenticity by Sonning Vintage Watches.
Patek Philippe are quite simply the most famous and most prestigious watchmaker in the world. They have broken pretty much every record in terms of accuracy, price, rarity and waiting lists. Founded in 1839 they created many of the most famous watches in the world.
It’s worth remembering that the average size of a man’s dress watch in the 1950’s was 31/32mm and it wasn’t unusual for a man to wear a 30mm case size. Most Patek Calatravas fall into this size but they did make a very few of larger case models and they have become extremely desirable due to their rareness and they fit with modern size watches. This 35mm (excluding the crown) is simply stunning. The solid 18ct yellow gold case is in near faultless condition. The original and untouched Patek signed satin steel dial with the yellow gold dauphine hands and applied batons is classically late art-deco. The dial’s in excellent condition but there are a few very minor marks and I’ve tried to capture these on the photographs and have a WhatsApp video if required. The magnificent Patek signed manual wind movement is again in near faultless condition and has just been fully serviced by SHWR – the pictures of the movement and inside case are from SHWR and were taken during the service. The watch sits on a genuine but relatively small Patek Philippe signed light brown crocodile skin with a solid 18ct Yellow Gold AW (made buckles for Patek) buckle (we can supply a new Hirsch London alligator strap with Hirsch buckle if required – the Patek buckle is 14mm so wouldn’t fit a standard Hirsch strap). Whilst we haven’t got the original paperwork we do have a Patek Philippe Extract of Archives from 2024 confirming the watch was made in 1952 and sold on May 19th 1953.
An SHWR service is done to Patek’s own service standards and would have cost around £900. We are able to source a genuine long Patek strap and buckle for around £850 directly from Patek if required or this can be bought over the counter.
