The full set of Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph reference 2499 series comes from a single owner collection that took almost 20 years of dedication to assemble, will lead The Geneva Watch Auction XIII, including an ultra-rare 2nd series in pink gold. In addition, The Hong Kong Watch Auction XII will offer an elusive Patek Philippe minute repeating perpetual calendar reference 3974 in pink gold, one of five known to the market.
“We are thrilled and honoured to offer for the first time in close to two decades all four series of the reference 2499 in one sale, making our Spring 2021 sale a once in a generation event,” said jointly Aurel Bacs, Phillips’ Senior Consultant and Alex Ghotbi, Head of Watches, Continental Europe & Middle East. “The Patek Philippe reference 2499, in any dial or case combination, is considered one of the most iconic and desirable trophy watches to crown any collection. It was made for close to 35 years and only 349 examples are known - a production of less than one piece a month. It therefore hails as one of the rarest collectible items in the world, on the same level as a Jackson Pollock painting or a vintage Ferrari sports car. There are collectible wristwatches, then there are watches woven from the fabric of dreams, and the reference 2499 is of the latter. It is an endgame.”
Patek Philippe Reference 2499 Full Set
Patek Phillipe’s iconic reference 2499 perpetual calendar chronograph set the blue print for perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatches before this complication was made on a regular basis by other brands, making this reference one of the most influential and relevant horological references of the second half of the 20th century.
It is always an event when a Patek Philippe reference 2499 appears on the market, especially the earlier 1st and 2nd series models, but to see all four series appear in one auction is extraordinary. The 1st series was purchased in 2008 and is one of only 23 examples in yellow gold with Wenger case known so far. The 2nd series is one of the ultra-rare examples in pink gold, of which only nine examples are known. The watch was purchased in the early 1960s in the north of Germany and remained in the same family until 2010 when it was offered at auction for the first time. The current owner purchased it directly from the buyer at that auction, so this is a “Three owners since new” watch. It is highly unusual but perfectly appropriate that the watch comes with a German calendar.
The 3rd series last appeared on the market in 2004 and is one of the earliest examples known. It stands out with its full hard enamel dial, a feature that was fading out in the late 1960s and that collectors immensely appreciate today.
The 4th series is from 1985, the last year of production for this reference, and features a rather unusual German calendar (matching with the fact that the watch sold originally in Germany). It is only one of six examples known of this series with German calendar.
Patek Philippe Reference 3974
In 1989, Patek Philippe celebrated their 150th anniversary by launching one of the world’s most complicated wristwatches at the time, the reference 3974. This historical timepiece is the Maison’s first serially produced automatic self-winding wristwatch with two of the most cherished complications amongst collectors, a minute repeater and a perpetual calendar housed into one. The movement beating in the heart of this masterpiece is Patek Philippe’s caliber R27Q, an impressively thin movement measuring just 6.8mm, comprised of 467 components.
