85 Patek Philippe A fine and charming, Calatrava, manual wristwatch in yellow gold, with small seconds, black gilt with "ghost" Eberhard Milano signature and Extract from the Archives, reference 96.
Estimate: Fr. 10'000 – 20'000
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- Model Calatrava
- Year 1939
- Reference 96
- Case Material 18K yellow gold
- Case Number 296'033
- Bracelet Material Leather strap
- Movement Manual, cal. 12-120, 18 jewels
- Movement Number 829'376
- Dimension 31mm Diameter
- Signed Case, dial and movement
- Accessories Accompanied by Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present timepiece in 1939 and its subsequente sale on 29th July 1939.
In 1932, as markets collapsed and confidence evaporated, Patek Philippe responded not with extravagance but with purity. The reference 96 was never conceived as a statement piece; it became one precisely because it refused to shout. The Calatrava distilled the maison’s philosophy into its most disciplined form: a perfectly judged round case, slender bezel and elongated lugs flowing downward with architectural precision. No excess, no theatrical complication, only balance, proportion and restraint. Over its long production life, the 96 evolved in whispers rather than revolutions. Subsidiary seconds gave way to center seconds, hands and signatures changed subtly, and each nuance became part of the broader narrative of 20th-century horology. The present example belongs to a particularly compelling chapter. Delivered in 1939, it was fitted from birth with a black dial, an uncommon and highly coveted configuration at a time when lighter tones dominated. Against the warmth of the yellow gold case, the dark surface creates a striking chiaroscuro. Look closer and another layer emerges. Faint, discreet and almost spectral, the retailer signature of Eberhard Milano once gleamed in gilt across the dial. Time has softened its presence, but not its importance. When such signatures survive, even as ghosts, they transform an already desirable reference into something far more nuanced and scholarly. Crucially, the Extract from the Archives confirms what the eye hopes: the black dial is original to the watch. In the world of early Calatravas, that single line carries enormous weight.
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LUGANO
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3 June - From 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM
GENEVA
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9 May - From 10:00 AM to 7:00 PM
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