94 Patek Philippe Extremely Rare, Attractive and Elegant, Manta Ray, Wristwatch in Yellow Gold, With Silvered Dial, 1 of 1500 Pieces, Made to Commemorate the New Millennium, Reference 5100
Estimate: €10,000 – 20,000
Sold (Premium)€17,550
Model: Manta Ray
Reference: 5100
Case Material: Yellow Gold
Bracelet Material: Leather Strap
Year: 2000
Movement: Manual
Caliber: 28-20 REC
Case N°: 4 111 134
Movement N°: 3 202 258
Dimensions: 34 × 46 mm
Signed: Dial, Movement and Case
Accessories: Extract from the Archives
To celebrate the turn of the Millenium, Patek Philippe commemorated it in a big way with the development of the ref. 5100. This manually wound reference is a time-only piece with a ten-day power reserve: back in 2000, this was a remarkable achievement, as the typical power reserve for most watches was about 36 to 48 hours. Of highly distinctive case form, reference 5100 takes its design from the similar, albeit smaller, reference 2554 from the 1950s, which is also known as “manta ray”. The dramatic case design required 188 separate operations to craft the extended and flared bezel edges, and the refined concave-convex case. What makes this watch a modern take on its predecessor, apart from its size, is, as previously said, the employment of a power reserve for the amazing duration of 10 days: indeed the movement will keep running up to ten days straight without requiring the daily or perhaps 36 hours winding necessary for ordinary timepieces. Made in a limited edition, this watch can never be recreated exactly as the firm destroyed the tools that were necessary for making the reference. The prestigious Geneva maker made a total of 3,000 pieces of reference 5100. Of these, 1,500 examples were made in yellow gold, 750 in pink gold, 450 in white gold and 300 in platinum, the latter with a flawless Top Wesselton diamond set between the lugs at 6 o’clock. The present watch in yellow gold is in overall very good condition and captivates with its elegant flare. Extremely rare and historically important, this watch has high recognition value. The watch comes with the extract from the archives confirming material, production in 2000 and subsequent sale on 14 November 2000.