18 Patek Philippe A historically important, fine and very elegant, manual split-seconds open-face pocket watch in yellow gold, with hinged caseback, retailed by Galt&Bro.

Estimate: € 10.000 –⁠ 20.000

In the early 20th century, as precision timekeeping transitioned from necessity to connoisseurship, Patek Philippe asserted its supremacy through the creation of split-seconds chronograph pocket watches — mechanical masterpieces that offered unparalleled technical complexity, particularly admired by scientists, sportsmen, and military officers alike. Few mechanisms so thoroughly express the refinement and intellectual challenge of haute horlogerie as the rattrapante or split-seconds complication, which allows the measurement of intermediate times via two chronograph hands that can be independently stopped and reunited. The present example, dating to circa 1900, is a splendid yellow gold open-face split-seconds chronograph pocket watch, displaying both mechanical virtuosity and aesthetic restraint. Its enamel dial, in exceptional condition, is adorned with Breguet numerals, elegant blued steel hands, and a rare and highly prized double signature, bearing both Patek Philippe and Galt & Bro, the venerable American retailer from Washington known for serving the elite clientele of the U.S. capital. Behind the hinged case back, a gorgeously finished movement reveals its complexity with the beautifully executed rattrapante mechanism, a signature of Geneva’s finest ateliers. With crisp engraving, pristine dial condition, and the timeless elegance that defines the golden age of Patek Philippe pocket watches, this piece is not only a technical tour de force, but also a rare object of cultural and historical significance, a window into the horological tastes of early 20th-century Washingtonian society.

Condition Report

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