PATEK PHILIPPE. A RARE AND ATTRACTIVE 18K GOLD AND ENAMEL LIGHTER

The Golden Ellipse lighters were introduced in the 1970s to compliment the Ellipse range of watches. It is believed that Patek Philippe commissioned Colibri, the French manufacturer of high quality gas lighters. These lighters were made out of a solid chunk of 18k gold and was decorated to the highest standards.

A company brochure from 1978 states that Patek Philippe would 'accept your order for an enameled pocket watch with a motif of your choice, or a hand-engraved or enameled Golden Ellipse lighter'. It is believed that enamel-decorated lighters were the rarest of the lot and in the mid-1980s, they retailed for as much as $8,000.