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Lot 2492 PATEK PHILIPPE MINUTE REPEATERS
THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF TIME FROM THE TITANIUM COLLECTION
The minute repeater has been one of Patek Philippe’s specialities since the very beginning. Immediately after the foundation of the company in 1839, the first quarter repeating pocket watches were produced, followed shortly after by the earliest minute repeater in 1845.
First invented by the German maker Benedict Fürstenfelder in the first years of the 18th century, improved and developed by Thomas Mudge in London c.1750 and then by Abraham-Louis Breguet in Paris, the minute repeating function which strikes the hours, quarters and minutes on demand was always regarded as an exceptional feat of watchmaking. Requiring perfectly tuned coiled steel gongs, this fascinating mechanism is one of the most difficult complications to execute and among the greatest horological challenges, especially when miniaturized to fit within the confines of a wristwatch.
In the 1920s, with the advent of wristwatches, most prominent clients of Patek Philippe asked for extraordinary watches such as repeaters, calendars or chronographs. Among all those, the repeating complication was regarded as the ultimate and of course the most expensive. Indeed, only around a dozen minute repeating wristwatches in total were manufactured by Patek Philippe from the mid-1920s to the end of the 1930s. The great collector Henry Graves Jr., famed for his pursuit of uncompromising watchmaking excellence, commissioned and owned three minute repeating wristwatches by Patek Philippe which illustrates clearly their status as an ultimate expression of watchmaking skill.
By the 1960s, the minute repeater wristwatch had fallen into obscurity. However, in 1989, Philippe Stern decided to reintroduce minute repeaters into production as part of the company’s 150th anniversary celebrations. This decision proved to be a masterstroke and since that time Patek Philippe has always included minute repeaters in their regular production, leading the way in their continued development. Around 200 to 300 hours of work is necessary to assemble a minute repeater movement and only the most experienced master watchmakers are permitted to undertake this task. Over the years, Patek Philippe has gone to enormous lengths to achieve perfection in the sound of its minute repeaters. To this end, the company has worked in collaboration with the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne - EPFL) and the Geneva School of Engineering where experimentation with alloys took place in order to find an ideal formula for a metal that creates superb sound qualities for Patek Philippe repeating gongs.
Just like the finest musical instruments, all minute repeating watches have a unique melodic sound and individual character. Indeed, it is a fascinating fact that no two Patek Philippe minute repeating watches sound exactly alike, even watches of the same reference, cased in exactly the same way show small differences in tone and sound transmission. It is well-known and much appreciated by clients that every single Patek Philippe minute repeater is personally checked by the President himself before it is allowed to be released from the manufacture.
PATEK PHILIPPE
THE ONE AND ONLY
"CATHEDRAL" MINUTE REPEATING ANNUAL CALENDAR
IN TITANIUM - REF. 5033T-001
PROPERTY FROM THE TITANIUM COLLECTION
THE MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF TIME FROM THE TITANIUM COLLECTION
The minute repeater has been one of Patek Philippe’s specialities since the very beginning. Immediately after the foundation of the company in 1839, the first quarter repeating pocket watches were produced, followed shortly after by the earliest minute repeater in 1845.
First invented by the German maker Benedict Fürstenfelder in the first years of the 18th century, improved and developed by Thomas Mudge in London c.1750 and then by Abraham-Louis Breguet in Paris, the minute repeating function which strikes the hours, quarters and minutes on demand was always regarded as an exceptional feat of watchmaking. Requiring perfectly tuned coiled steel gongs, this fascinating mechanism is one of the most difficult complications to execute and among the greatest horological challenges, especially when miniaturized to fit within the confines of a wristwatch.
In the 1920s, with the advent of wristwatches, most prominent clients of Patek Philippe asked for extraordinary watches such as repeaters, calendars or chronographs. Among all those, the repeating complication was regarded as the ultimate and of course the most expensive. Indeed, only around a dozen minute repeating wristwatches in total were manufactured by Patek Philippe from the mid-1920s to the end of the 1930s. The great collector Henry Graves Jr., famed for his pursuit of uncompromising watchmaking excellence, commissioned and owned three minute repeating wristwatches by Patek Philippe which illustrates clearly their status as an ultimate expression of watchmaking skill.
By the 1960s, the minute repeater wristwatch had fallen into obscurity. However, in 1989, Philippe Stern decided to reintroduce minute repeaters into production as part of the company’s 150th anniversary celebrations. This decision proved to be a masterstroke and since that time Patek Philippe has always included minute repeaters in their regular production, leading the way in their continued development. Around 200 to 300 hours of work is necessary to assemble a minute repeater movement and only the most experienced master watchmakers are permitted to undertake this task. Over the years, Patek Philippe has gone to enormous lengths to achieve perfection in the sound of its minute repeaters. To this end, the company has worked in collaboration with the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne - EPFL) and the Geneva School of Engineering where experimentation with alloys took place in order to find an ideal formula for a metal that creates superb sound qualities for Patek Philippe repeating gongs.
Just like the finest musical instruments, all minute repeating watches have a unique melodic sound and individual character. Indeed, it is a fascinating fact that no two Patek Philippe minute repeating watches sound exactly alike, even watches of the same reference, cased in exactly the same way show small differences in tone and sound transmission. It is well-known and much appreciated by clients that every single Patek Philippe minute repeater is personally checked by the President himself before it is allowed to be released from the manufacture.
PATEK PHILIPPE
THE ONE AND ONLY
"CATHEDRAL" MINUTE REPEATING ANNUAL CALENDAR
IN TITANIUM - REF. 5033T-001
PROPERTY FROM THE TITANIUM COLLECTION
PATEK PHILIPPE. A UNIQUE AND HIGHLY IMPORTANT TITANIUM AUTOMATIC "CATHEDRAL" MINUTE REPEATING ANNUAL CALENDAR WRISTWATCH
SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENEVE, REF. 5033, MOVEMENT NO. 1'904'501, CASE NO. 4'237'658, MANUFACTURED IN 2003
Closed13 July 2020
Price Realised
HKD 15,125,000
More Information
Specialist note
This outstanding minute repeater annual calendar watch is the only known example of the reference 5033 to be made in titanium, it is therefore, unquestionably the key piece of the reference and a truly world-class object. It offers the opportunity for international connoisseurs to join a highly exclusive group of collectors indeed – those fortunate few who possess a titanium Patek Philippe complicated watch.
Patek Philippe has only used titanium on very special occasions, this metal is reserved for the cases of its most high-profile and special unique-piece watches, in fact, only a handful of titanium cased watches have been created over the company’s entire production. Including the references: 6000T, 5001T, 5102T, 5396T, 5524T, 5712T, 5004T, 5208T and the present 5033T, each a unique titanium example of the respective reference and amongst the most desired and valuable trophies of Patek Philippe’s modern production.
As the only known titanium example of reference 5033, not unexpectedly, this remarkable watch has its own very distinct individual character. The use of titanium for the case provides a quite unique aesthetic in comparison with the regular platinum version, with noticeably sharper angles and brushed finishing, and in terms of the feel and weight, its lightness is the polar opposite of the platinum version. The unmistakable grey colour of the titanium harmonizes with the two-tone silvery grey Roman dial to perfection. It is also notable that the titanium case, quite naturally, has a subtle effect on the acoustics of the ‘cathedral’ repeating gongs, which sound with a clear, rich tone.
Reference 5033
The first examples of the reference was a special order of just 10 pieces made in 2002, nine were made in platinum, the 10th watch, the present watch, was made as a unique piece in titanium. To highlight its very special status as a one-of-a-kind watch, it was given its own separate reference number: 5033T-001. This set it apart from the other nine platinum pieces with the reference 5033P-001. These first ten watches of the 5033-001 series were fitted with a distinctive specially designed two-tone silvery grey dial with guilloché centre and elongated black Roman numerals.
The combination of the annual calendar complication with that of the minute repeater defines the reference 5033, it was the first time that Patek Philippe had brought together these two complications in a wristwatch. Inspired by historic models from the Art Deco era, its elegant design incorporates a very distinctive arrangement of large triple calendar apertures. The 5033’s movement is calibre R27 PS QA which comprises 483 individual components. The beautifully melodious sound of the repeating is provided by extra-long ‘cathedral’ gongs, developed by Patek Philippe, the gongs are made from a special alloy which enhances and prolongs the rich tone of the minute repeater.
Discontinued in 2012, only around 80 pieces were ever made during the ten-year production period of the reference 5033. It is a watch that is so treasured and beloved by its owners that to date only 5 examples have returned to the open market since the model’s launch 18 years ago.
Patek Philippe has only used titanium on very special occasions, this metal is reserved for the cases of its most high-profile and special unique-piece watches, in fact, only a handful of titanium cased watches have been created over the company’s entire production. Including the references: 6000T, 5001T, 5102T, 5396T, 5524T, 5712T, 5004T, 5208T and the present 5033T, each a unique titanium example of the respective reference and amongst the most desired and valuable trophies of Patek Philippe’s modern production.
As the only known titanium example of reference 5033, not unexpectedly, this remarkable watch has its own very distinct individual character. The use of titanium for the case provides a quite unique aesthetic in comparison with the regular platinum version, with noticeably sharper angles and brushed finishing, and in terms of the feel and weight, its lightness is the polar opposite of the platinum version. The unmistakable grey colour of the titanium harmonizes with the two-tone silvery grey Roman dial to perfection. It is also notable that the titanium case, quite naturally, has a subtle effect on the acoustics of the ‘cathedral’ repeating gongs, which sound with a clear, rich tone.
Reference 5033
The first examples of the reference was a special order of just 10 pieces made in 2002, nine were made in platinum, the 10th watch, the present watch, was made as a unique piece in titanium. To highlight its very special status as a one-of-a-kind watch, it was given its own separate reference number: 5033T-001. This set it apart from the other nine platinum pieces with the reference 5033P-001. These first ten watches of the 5033-001 series were fitted with a distinctive specially designed two-tone silvery grey dial with guilloché centre and elongated black Roman numerals.
The combination of the annual calendar complication with that of the minute repeater defines the reference 5033, it was the first time that Patek Philippe had brought together these two complications in a wristwatch. Inspired by historic models from the Art Deco era, its elegant design incorporates a very distinctive arrangement of large triple calendar apertures. The 5033’s movement is calibre R27 PS QA which comprises 483 individual components. The beautifully melodious sound of the repeating is provided by extra-long ‘cathedral’ gongs, developed by Patek Philippe, the gongs are made from a special alloy which enhances and prolongs the rich tone of the minute repeater.
Discontinued in 2012, only around 80 pieces were ever made during the ten-year production period of the reference 5033. It is a watch that is so treasured and beloved by its owners that to date only 5 examples have returned to the open market since the model’s launch 18 years ago.