Patek Philippe

ImranLondon
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The most perfect watch ever made.

What makes a great watch? Is it the looks? perhaps the movement (finishing, construction)? or the degree of complication?

For me and maybe many more, it is the combination of of all three. There is one watch which took all three ingredients, and got it perfect in every department. Widely regarded by many collectors as the most perfect watch ever created, the Patek Philippe ref.2499.

Following on from the ref.1518 the new ref.2499 became the most complicated watch in regular production. In 1950's there was an explosion of moonphase watches, but very few were perpetual calendars.

The new 2499, was a large watch for its time at 38mm. But was perfectly proportioned, every time I see this watch I lust after it. The problem is so do many other! the price for this beauty is every increasing, and only the very privelidged will ever own one as only 349 pieces were made between 1951 and 1985.

Majority were made in yellow gold, rarely in pink or white (very rare) and a few pieces in the 1980's in platinum.There were four distinct series each displaying its own charecteristics. However, as the 2499 was akin to buying a 5016 today, you could request special features. Some of these included black dials, or adding a tachymetre or even a medical scale on the dial or sapphire back. Ofcourse at auction today these unique pieces fetch prices in the millions: I'll take two then

The first serie started in 1951 had square pusher, gorgeous feuille hands and the dial had applied arabic numbers. The lugs were beautifully fluted. In 1960 the second series the dial saw minor changes, the arabic numbers being replaced with baton, and the hands were now dauphine hands. The third series  which ran to 1978 witnessed a change in the pushers, to the round push buttons which many associate with the model. You could have a choice in the hands of either fuille or dauphine. Finally the fourth series which ran till 1985 had a saphhire crystal.

The 2499, is not the most expensive watch ever sold, nor is it the most complicated, but it is the most perfect

Best, Imran