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The “Cobra”
The Patek Philippe Ref. 3414 is nicknamed the “Cobra” because it was the main source of inspiration for the modern Urwerk UR-CC1 King Cobra.
This wristwatch, with its dual linear display of hours (at the bottom) and minutes (at the top), wad designed by legendary designer Gilbert Albert.
credit: Bibliothèque de Genève (Gilbert Albert), @art_of_horology_ (watch) & kids.nationalgeographic (cobra)
The yellow gold case measures 27.3 x 43.8 x 15.8 mm and the total length of the yellow gold bracelet is about 190 mm.
credit: @wow.sg
The watch is on display at the Patek Philippe Museum, Inv. P-110, in the window no. 73, dedicated to the Gilbert Albert timepieces.
credit: personal photo
However, the mechanism was invented and engineered in 1958 by Louis Cottier, best known for his World Time complication.
credit: Oracle Time
It involves two synthetic superimposed cylinders, half white and half black:
- one for the hours (making one rotation every 12 hours)
- and the other for the minutes (making one rotation every 60 minutes)
Surprisingly, the superimposed cylinders are linked to and powered by the legendary hand-wound caliber 9-90, which equips most of the Patek Philippe shaped watches from the 1940s and 1950s.
credit: Swisswatches Magazine
The watch is presented in detail on page 234 of the book by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, Patek Philippe Genève Wristwatches (second edition, 1998).
As you can read, a patent on the mechanism was filed in 1959 but the watch never went into serial production (probably because the mechanism wasn't efficient enough) and the prototype remains a piece unique.
The watch is also described on page 353 of Volume II of the Patek Philippe Museum catalog:
credit: personal photos of my own copy of each book
Here are three more photos of the “Cobra” (stupidly I only photographed the Gilbert Albert display window as a whole):
credit: Tony Traina (Unpolished), cool hunting & @robengstrom1832
And, finally, here are some photos of a rare so-called "albino" version of the main successor to the Patek Philippe “Cobra” ref. 3414: the Urwerk UR-CC1 King Cobra:
credit: Watch Guru
Of course, it's not a watch I would personally want to wear, but it remains a fascinating piece of watchmaking history.
Don't you think so too?
Thanks for reading.
Best, Emmanuel
The “Cobra”
The Patek Philippe Ref. 3414 is nicknamed the “ Cobra ” because it was the main source of inspiration for the modern Urwerk UR-CC1 King Cobra . This wristwatch , with its dual linear display of hours (at the bottom) and minutes (at the top), wad designed ...
Yes, I agree: even judging by Gilbert Albert's own standards, it's far from his most successful creation.
But that's not the point: the point is Louis Cottier's creativity, which, as the recent 5249R-001 Crow and Fox also reminds us, extended well beyond the World Time complication to which he is generally reduced. And then, when you think about it: a manufac...
Like you, I am enthusiastic about this watch,
but I don't think I would wear it... The design is a little over-the-top for me. Best, Emmanuel