234 Patek Philippe The first 2499 case ever produced by Patek Philippe, an historically important and very well preserved, Chronograph Perpetual Calendar, manual wristwatch in yellow gold, sapphire glass, from the fourth series, with Extract, reference 2499/100.
Estimate: € 700.000 – 1.400.000
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- Model Chronograph Perpetual Calendar
- Year 1982
- Reference 2499/100
- Case Material 18K yellow gold
- Case Number 2'792'095
- Bracelet Material Leather strap
- Movement Manual, cal. 13" CH Q, 23 jewels
- Movement Number 869'435
- Dimension 37.5mm Diameter
- Signed Case, dial and movement
- Accessories Accompanied by Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives, leather pochette and service tag.
- Literature This specific watch was previously sold in Christie's "An Evening of Exceptional Watches" auction on Dec 6 2018 as lot 177 for USD 504.500.
Reference 2499 occupies an unparalleled position in the history of Patek Philippe. Introduced in 1950 as the successor to the legendary reference 1518, it combined a chronograph with a perpetual calendar and moon phase, becoming the defining expression of Patek Philippe’s complicated wristwatch design. Produced over approximately 35 years, only 349 examples are believed to have been made, making it one of the rarest and most celebrated perpetual calendar chronographs ever created.
The reference is divided into four series, distinguished primarily by their aesthetic characteristics:
First series (1951–1960): square chronograph pushers, applied Arabic numerals and tachymeter scale.
Second series (1955–1964): round chronograph pushers, with either applied baton or applied Arabic numerals and tachymeter scale.
Third series (1960–1978): round chronograph pushers, applied baton numerals and outer seconds divisions.
Fourth series (1978–1985): round chronograph pushers, applied baton numerals, outer seconds divisions and sapphire crystal, as found on the present watch.
The present reference 2499/100 is historically significant for a reason that extends far beyond rarity: it is the first 2499 ever cased by Patek Philippe itself, marking the transition from externally supplied cases to the in-house production of its most complicated wristwatches. During the production of the 2499, cases were initially supplied by Emile Vichet (key number 9) and, from about 1953 until 1982, by the renowned Geneva casemaker Wenger S.A. (key number 1). In 1975, Patek Philippe acquired the industrial building at 7 Rue des Vieux-Grenadiers in Geneva to establish Ateliers Réunis (ex Marcel Pugin S.A.), a dedicated production unit for cases and bracelets where traditional Genevan goldsmithing techniques were perpetuated. This acquisition laid the foundations for Patek Philippe to progressively bring case manufacture under its own control. The present watch is the first tangible result of this strategy. Movement No. 869435, originally belonging to a sequence of movements supplied for Wenger-cased 2499s, was selected for this pioneering example and, in 1982, fitted into case No. 2,792,095, the first case produced by Ateliers Réunis for the new in-house 2499/100 series. Remarkably, subsequent in-house examples adopted a dedicated sequence of movements, leaving the present watch as the prototype from which this new chapter began. The significance of reference 2499/100 therefore extends beyond being the final evolution of the 2499. It marks the beginning of Patek Philippe’s modern philosophy of bringing the manufacture of its most complicated watches under one roof. The same case-making infrastructure would subsequently be employed for the successor reference 3970, making the present watch the starting point of a production philosophy that continues to define Patek Philippe today.
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GENEVA
Eternity Gallery Geneva, 19 Place de Longemalle
HONG KONG
Opera Gallery Hong Kong, 1 Duddell Street, Unit 01, 11/F, Central
MILANO
Portrait Milano Hotel, Corso Venezia, 11
BOLOGNA
Time on Show Bologna, Viale della Fiera, 20