Patek Philippe has sat atop the horological mountain for going on two centuries, having earned near-universal acclaim for their proficiencies in designing, engineering, and manufacturing some of the most exquisite timepieces the world has ever seen.
The celebrated maison has a tradition of creating watches that transcend generations. Leaning on the pillars of timeless design, refinement, and mechanical ingenuity, there’s arguably no other manufacture that does it better. With relatively low production numbers, ownership provenance, and limited editions, Patek Philippe's most highly collectable and rare watches often dominate auction headlines.
If this one - a stunning fresh to market Reference 130 chronograph with Breguet dial - was offered at auction, it would certainly do just that!
To meet widespread demand for chronograph models in the years before the Second World War, Patek Philippe announced the manufacture’s first serially-produced wrist chronograph watch - the Reference 130, in 1936. Debuting only 2 years after the iconic Calatrava Reference 96, the new model embraced some of the Calatrava’s case design language but housed their new Calibre 13 chronograph movement with central chronograph seconds, a 30-minute counter, and subsidiary running seconds.
Classically proportioned with a tidy case size of 33mm, the Reference 130 embodies elegance in every sense of the word. Predominantly produced in precious metals including yellow, pink, and white gold, a very small number were also produced in stainless steel. While these rare stainless steel models might command the highest prices, we'll take a yellow gold Patek Philippe of any reference all day, every day.
Produced for nearly 30 years, the Reference 130 chronograph was produced with a variety of dial configurations including two-tone iterations, sector dials, ‘Roman’ indices, ‘Arabic’ indices, and a highly-coveted version with applied ‘Breguet’ numerals, which we are pleased to offer here. This rare variant also includes a printed tachymeter scale and railroad seconds track, gold-toned ‘feuille’ handset, and a twin sub-register display with matching railroad markings which are positioned at the outer boundary of the dial, which gives the impression of a much larger-wearing watch on the wrist.
This very special example is reportedly a single-owner example, never before offered for sale on the market. In outstanding condition throughout, the case was given a light refinishing, and it retains even lugs and a crisp hallmark. It also includes a signed black alligator leather strap and later 18k pin buckle, a period box set, and an Extract from Patek Philippe, confirming production and original sale in 1944.
Its hard to imagine that something so exquisite could come from out of one of the darkest years in human history, when Europe was on fire. But here it is - an incredible artifact that proves mankind's capacity for creating beauty amidst tragedy and chaos.
Be the next custodian of this truly special piece.