PATEK PHILIPPE. A FINE AND RARE 18K GOLD RECTANGULAR WRISTWATCH WITH FLARED SIDES

Launched in 1948, reference 2442 is today one of the most appreciated and collectible shaped wristwatches ever made. Its voluptuous and iconic case shape remains immediately recognizable among Patek Philippe's production. Aesthetically, its 42.5 mm length grants to it a remarkable wrist presence, making this reference extremely pleasing to wear. It is so appreciated by collectors that, over time, its case design has inspired at least three nicknames: "banana", "osso da morto" (Italian for: dead man's bone) and "Marylin", the name of the most widely recognized icon of femininity came to be because the curve of the case recalls, with its wide top and bottom and narrow centre, a perfect female body.

It is powered by the tonneau-shaped calibre 9-90. This movement was specifically developed by Patek Philippe for shaped watches, and the case was modelled after the shape of this movements. With shaped watches becoming less and less in fashion with the advent of the 1960s, the development of tonneau-shaped movements was discontinued and round movements were used for the few shaped watches the company sold over time.

To the best of our knowledge the present example has never been offered in public before.