Patek Philippe calatrava Ref 3445 white gold with date

Monday, May 30, 2011

Patek 3445 white gold with date

With the help of Candy, I have managed to find a Patek Philippe White gold 3445 with date in very good condition. The 3445 was produced from 1961-1981 in solid yellow and white gold. Since I already have the 2552 and 3433 in yellow gold, it become natural for me wanting to find a white gold. The simple design is really timeless and nice. This is the second auto movement produced by Patek and is also one of the most beautiful rotor Patek ever built.

History of famous company Patek Philippe began 160 years back, in 1839, when to Geneva officer of the Polish cavalry Antoni Norbert Patek arrived Philip de Pravdzhich, taking part in a revolt during occupation of Bel'vederskogo of palace in Warsaw. Since it was cruelly low-spirited, Patek Philip, as well as thousands of other Poland, rescued from pursuit, was forced to abandon Motherland. Some time he gets a lesson describe vividly for the known landscape-painter A. Kalama, and then carries with horology. Teaming up with other Polish emigrant - watch-maker Fransua Chapekom, Patek Philip registers a sentinel firm, the task of which consisted of that, to survive in a cutthroat competition with other Swiss brands which by that time already were the acknowledged authorities of business sentinel. A young company spares basic attention a design: partners buy for the best producers mechanisms and place them in own corps. In 1845 Chapek walks away from businesses, and Antuan de Patek as a result of searches of new partner meets with Adrienom Filipppom - by the talented French watch-maker, which a revolutionary on sentinel business invention - development of mechanism, led unassisted key belonged to. Partners swore to devote the lives “creation only of the best and dear clock”. Since exclusive design, dear materials, perfection and exactness of the most difficult mechanism, collected by hand, all and singular distinguishes clock of legendary firm Patek Philippe. Exactly combination of these undeniable dignities overmastered the hearts of famous clients of Patek Philippe. In the number of first were Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, in future Patek Philippe became the possessors of clock more than 30 reigning monarchs and four chapters of Roman Catholic Church. At different times works of sentinel and jewelers art of Patek Philippe were owned And. Einstein, Vagner, м. of Curie, Kipling, Sh. Bronte.

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Location:Princess Margaret Road Link

Patek Philippe calatrava Ref 3433

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Vintage Patek Philippe ref 3433

As you know, I have always been a fan of vintage Rolex. I first entered the world of vintage Patek in 2002 when I first acquired the rectangular Patek using the famous 09/90 movement.

However, after that, my momentum stopped. Following my acquisition of my second Patek Philippe Ref 2522 (from the 1950s) using the first generation automatic last week, I have been totally addicted with the world of Patek. It is interesting to note that this watch is considered "big" (at 35mm) during the 1950s since most watches then were 30 - 33mm in size. The modern watches are now very big at 40-45mm making these watches looked small. Nevertheless, these classic designed watch really looked elegant and timeless..

Having found the first auto movement, i have set myself the mission to search for the second. The second generation Patek movement is the 27-460M movement and I was lucky to have found the ref 3433 (from 1962) in near mint condition together with the Patek achieve paper. 

Originally, my thought was to go for the Ref 3445 Patek with a date function. However, I was told that the ref 2522 is a much rarer find as it was still using the special "lacquered" dial that has a shine and dial that will not get tarnished or getting spotted.



To get the Patek in such a short time, I have to let go some of my precious hifi gears... : (

I am looking forward to my 4th Patek, the ref 3445 with date and hopefully, find one in white instead of yellow gold. The search is on... : )
Photos of my dream watch

My dream watches Patek Philippe

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

My dream watches: Patek

My first encounter with Patek watch was with my Sifu, Mr. TK Lee who first showed me the Patek jump hour in the early 1990s. As I have just graduated, I could not afford these nice Patek watches.

I have 4 dream watches: vintage Rolex moon phase, Patek Philippe ref 2552 and 3433 and 3445

1. Patek ref 2552

For those of you who are unfamiliar with this reference, it has been affectionately coined the "Disco Volente; flying saucer, due to it's beautiful stepped case. It has the quintessential patek dial lay-out; dauphine hands, faceted hour markers, and sub-second track.. The case size is approx. 35-36mm. In addition, the watch is equipped with one of the most beautiful Patek movements ever made the 12-600AT. This movement is lavishly constructed with no expense sparred; magnificent guilloched rotor, beautifully finished swan neck regulator, Gyromax, with breguet overcoil. The 12-600AT is truly a horological piece of art with a very nice solid gold rotating wheel.

According to pp records, only 7'100 movements cal. 12'''-600 AT have been made from 1953 to circa 1959 and were mounted in wristwatches bearing the references 2526, 2540, 2551, 2552, 2583, 2584, 2585, 3403, 3415, and 3425. 

古董錶：18K金錶殼、自動上鍊、男妝腕錶、錶徑36mm、Ref:2552、約1955年、具時.分.小秒針顯示、銀質銀白色面盤、K金立體刻度時標、外圍有小圓珠點分刻度標示、劍形K金指針、機號Cal:12-600AT、鍍銠機芯有魚鱗紋及日內瓦波紋打磨、30顆紅寶石、高級Ｙ字型紅寶石Ｒ角馬式擒縱結構、超精密鵝頸式快慢微調器、雙層藍鋼游絲、抗溫差砝碼補償合金擺輪、有8顆砝碼可微調時間快慢、經不同溫度五方位校準、早期的固定簧防震裝置。雙向推進式自動上鍊、有雕花的18K金自動盤、錶肉烙有二枚日內瓦戳記、拉桿式的調時裝置、弧形藍寶石水晶玻璃、透明錶背。
此款機芯是百達翡麗第一代自動上鍊機芯、它的特點是能穩定的自動上鍊不易損壞經久耐用、是Patek Philippe百達翡麗經典具代表性自動上鍊古董錶機芯、特別訂做18K金旋轉式防水底蓋並裝有弧形藍寶石水晶玻璃、18K金帶扣、手工製龍頭、錶殼.面盤及錶肉均有簽名.


2. Patek 3433

From 1959, Ref. 3415, 3425, 3428, 3429, 3433, 3443, 3435, 3438, 3439, 3440, 3441, 3444 and 3454 were equipped with the second generation auto movements cal. 27-460 as well.Cal. 27-460 became the movement which was used for all automatic wristwatches and 27-460 Q for perpetual calendar wristwatches with automatic winding.Circa 1960, Ref. 2526 was equipped with cal 27-460, the latest automatic movement by Patek Philippe at the time and became the Ref. 3428.


3. Patek 3445 is the watch with date using the caliber 27-460 as well.

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Patek Philippe Ref 3569 versus 3919

My last acquisition for Patek Philippe watches was more than 11 years ago in 2011. As PP watches are expensive and rare, I do not find many of these watches around. However, I am currently viewing two Patek Philippe Patek 3919 versus 3569 and I hope to get just one and I shall need to research which one to get.

Patek Philippe 3569 (1969-1986）

The 3569 is a rather unusual model with the winding crown on the back of the case and was know as the backward winding model by collectors.  The backwind models consists of  the 3563, 3569 and 3573 (which was cushion shaped).

The Pros:

1. The case for the 3569 is larger at 36mm versus 33.5 mm for 3919

2. Historically important Automatic movement after the The first generation calibre 12-600 AT ( it is considered by many to be one of the most aesthetically beautiful wristwatch movements ever made, and it was utilised within a 35.5 mm water-resistant case and was launched in 1953) and second generation caliber 27-460 launched in 1960. The caliber 350-I was launched in 1969. The  original calibre 350 had bi-directional winding, which caused a fair amount of problems, so the 350i (improved) has only uni-directional winding. The 3919 is a Manuel wind watch

3. The 3569 is more vintage 

The Cons:

1. With the winding crown at the back, moisture tends to get into the movement especially during summer time. No such issue for 3919.

2. Power reserve of this automatic is weak (some collector considered it a failed model). 3919 hamdwind watch has no such issue.

3. There were names being engraved at the back case but it’s was polished off thereby thinning the back case.

As such, The ref. 3569 is a backwind automatic that was in production from 1969 – 1986. The concept of a backwind watch was ingenious, making it easy to wear for both a right or left-handed person. However, in practice, moisture easily permeated the case of these backwind watches and visits to the service center became a frequent rite of passage for owners

https://daydaynews.cc/en/fashion/the-ultimate-magic-machine-patek-philippe-cal-27-460.html

Above and above, right: Pages from Patek Philippe's patent for a self-winding movement showing a peripheral winding system.

Exploded view of Patek Philippe cal. I-350 from Patek Philippe Genève Wristwatches, Second Edition, © 1998 by Patek Philippe SA, Geneva, Switzerland.
Cal. I-350 from Patek Philippe Genève Wristwatches, Second Edition, © 1998 by Patek Philippe SA, Geneva, Switzerland.
Rotor-side view of cal. I-350 from Patek Philippe Genève Wristwatches, Second Edition, © 1998 by Patek Philippe SA, Geneva, Switzerland.
John Reardon has a more positive view of the cal. 350 and I-350, saying that he feels the movements' poor reputation is probably unfair. Formerly of Christie's and Patek Philippe, Reardon's is a name that, like Wind's, longtime HODINKEE readers may remember from his HODINKEE byline. He now operates the site Collectability. "But the 350 is a beautiful movement; the 240 [a well-known Patek movement which saves on thickness in a different way, with a micro rotor], however, is simply far superior in terms of functionality," Reardon told me. "Cal. 350 was a canvas for design, an automatic alternative to quartz for watches that were very focused on dials, textures, and classic shapes. The functionality is quite literally on the back. The lack of a crown on the side enabled Patek Philippe to explore designs never before seen."
Citing the authoritative book Patek Philippe Genève Wristwatches by Martin Huber and Alan Banbery, Reardon says, "It's clear that this is the third in the evolution of automatic movements from Patek Philippe." Reardon continues: "We all talk about the 12'''600. And there are collectors obsessed with the 27-460. But the third, the sort of bronze medal, goes to the 350. And nobody talks about that. The cal. 350 is like the segue to the later cal. 310, which was the base design of numerous automatic movements today from Patek Philippe. So a cal. 350 deserves to be in a collection, as long as you can find a watchmaker who can fix it."

Extract from : https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/peripherally-wound-watch-movements-from-patek-philippe-cal-350

But if you follow the road back to the first peripherally winding movement, as with so much in horology, it leads to Geneva and the house of Patek Philippe, which made quite a few of them in the 1970s and '80s – thousands, in fact. And yet, they're not particularly well known today. I learned of their existence earlier this year in the course of fact-checking an article on Carl F. Bucherer. After filing a patent for a self-winding movement in 1965, Patek Philippe pursued its peripheral-winding movement project for a number of years. In 1969, it came out with the cal. 350. In 1979 came an improved version, the cal. I-350. The "I" stands for "improved." The I-350 was made in about 10,000 units, according to Watch Wiki, until it was finally retired in 1985, along with, it seems, Patek's peripheral-winding ambitions. The earliest patent for a peripherally winding movement is attributed to the Swiss watchmaker Paul Gosteli and dates from the mid-'50s. 

Why are calibers 350 and I-350 not as famous as some of the other automatic movements that Patek developed around the same time? One of the main traits of Patek Philippe's peripherally wound watches was their unusual placement of the crown on the back, earning them the nickname "backwinders." The positioning of the rotor precluded the crown, stem, and keyless works from being placed where they traditionally go. One will sometimes notice in photographs of Cal. 350s that they look a bit dirty, even for an old watch movement that may not have had a cleaning in a while. This is likely because the crown placement offered a pathway for moisture from the wrist to enter the case. One will also notice that, despite the fact that cal. I-350 bears the Geneva Seal, it is actually fairly plain-looking. 

These movements were developed long before the days of the see-through caseback. And while the peripherally wound movement today seems, and is, tailor-made to be viewed through a disc of sapphire glass, cal. I-350 was designed with a different order of priorities. They were made, in the main, to be thin, if not exceptionally beautiful, and to offer a compelling alternative to quartz in the age of the Beta 21, the pioneering Swiss-made quartz movement. 

Consider, too, the state of the Swiss watch industry in the '70s and early '80s. "It was a period of upheaval for Swiss watchmaking and profits were under pressure," Eric Wind,  told me. "I see a lot of these backwinders in steel, which is cool, but obviously this was less expensive for Patek at the time." Wind went on to tell me that the watches are difficult to sell today.

Patek Philippe ref. 3580A (Courtesy John Reardon / Collectability)

Back of Patek Philippe ref. 3580A (Courtesy John Reardon / Collectability)

Caliber I-350 measures 28mm in diameter and a quite thin 3.5mm from top to bottom, while providing displays for the hours, the minutes, and direct central seconds. It used Patek Philippe's proprietary Gyromax balance and vibrated at 21,600 vph. The original cal. 350, on which I-350 is based, features bi-directional winding, which apparently presented some problems, as it had to be updated. Cal. I-350 was the improvement, with its transition to unidirectional winding. In talking to dealers and other experts, the main criticism that I heard again and again was of the backwind system, also seen in certain LeCoultre watches, and its tendency to let in moisture. Whereas all the LeCoultre backwinders were manually wound, Patek used it to accommodate the winding system.

Patek Philippe ref. 3563. (Credit: Sotheby's)

Whatever view one takes of these early peripheral winding watches, one will likely agree that the 1970s weren't exactly a halcyon period for Swiss mechanical watchmaking. Perhaps this is why Cal. 350 and the later Cal. I-350 aren't remembered as warmly as some of the movements that preceded and followed them. Still, these peripherally winding calibers with rotors mounted on ball bearings were the first of their type, plenty of them were made and owned, and many have survived to this day, allowing them to be found readily in the vintage market. They represent an important first in the history of watchmaking, given the subsequent rise in popularity that the peripheral rotor has seen in the last decade as well as a key step in Patek Philippe's development of automatic movements. They also happen to be paired, by virtue of the '70s and '80s timeframe in which they were manufactured, with some really interesting cases, dials, and bracelets. And, of course, because of the back-mounted crown, they are all perfectly symmetrical and easy to wear for both righties and lefties. If ever a movement design was suited to the Ellipse or the Golden Circle, well, this was it.

If you like avant-garde watch designs from this period, then these are watches you will want to know about. One vintage expert I spoke to told me that he thinks these backwinders are probably undervalued, and looking at watches currently available online, I am inclined to agree.

Patek Philippe 3919 (1985-2006)

The Calatrava model has been around since the early 1930s and shown its strength especially throughout the 1940s and into the 1960s, especially with its iconic references 96 and 570. In 1985, Patek Philippe introduced the reference 3919 (33.5mm) which set the benchmark for a beautiful modern dress watch. The dial is a very stark white with a glossy finish, and is adorned with crisp printed black Roman numerals and the manufacturer's signature. The leaf hands and subtle subsidiary seconds offer a nod to the early Calatrava design. But the design feature that most stands out is the “Clous de Paris” bezel design, which up close are small pyramids lined up in formation. The movement inside is a beautifully finished manual-winding caliber 215PS (“PS” meaning “Petite Seconde”) ticking away at 28,800 beats per hour. It has a manual-wound Caliber 215 PS movement, 

https://calibercorner.com/patek-philippe-caliber-215-ps/

After two decades of production, the Calatrava ref. 3919 was eventually replaced by the larger (36 mm) Calatrava ref. 5119 in 2006. While the overall appearances of the two watches are near-identical to the untrained eye, many consider the ref. 3919 to be the classic Patek Philippe Calatrava.

https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/watch-review/spotlight-patek-philippe-calatrava-3919.html

Rolex ref 1803 Day Date 18k white gold no lume diamonds dial (from 1978)

As an ordinary working man, I do not think I will have much opportunity to wear diamonds jewelry. As such, one of the way I can get to wear it subtlety is to get a watch with some small diamonds on its dial. Earlier on, I have tried the Elgin and the Rolex Datjust with diamonds and I am comfortable wearing them. The Rolex white no-lume diamond Rolex Day-Date 1803 seems like another good option. It has 8 diamond hour markers, baguette diamonds at 6 & 9 o’clock and day & date display at 12 & 3 o’clock with no luminous dotes or luminous on hands.

Some history. In 1956, the Oyster Perpetual Day-Date made its debut. Available only in 18 ct gold or platinum, it was the first wristwatch to display the date and day of the week spelt out in full in a window on the dial. With the President bracelet, originally created specially for it, the Day-Date continues to be the watch par excellence of influential people. 

The white gold watch looks like stainless steel and it will be subtle enough to wear it for work. Several years ago, I was looking at one white gold 1803 but didn’t manage to get it. Finally i a, able to find one using two Datejust. The watch is probably one of the last batch from 1978.

Will look for a nice lizard skin leather strap for it. This is my second Day Date with the first one being Yellow Gold found in Bangkok when I was working there. I shall need to find a Rose gold Day Date..

The watch is unique as the pie pan dial has no lume. Similarly, there are no luminous materials on the hour and minute hands as well giving it a very clean look..

https://omegaforums.net/threads/heres-what-happens-when-you-get-hell-bent-on-dds.1056/

https://www.rolexforums.com/showthread.php?t=695812

Rolex 1803-9

型號未一字代表成份如下 (機殼及錶帶) 
/0-全鋼 
/2-鉑金及鋼 
/3-18k黃金及鋼 
/4-白金及鋼 
/5-玫瑰金 
/6-鉑金 
/8-18k黃金 
/9-18k白金 

網上資料 (kwsiu)：歷史背景

1958年，繼 Ref. 6511 (c. 1956) 後，勞力士推出日誌型的第三代演進型號: 1803蠔式型錶款，裝載Cal. 1555機芯，具有星期及日期顯示（Day-Date），為當時的製錶界提供了一個新的思考方向，因為在當時即便其它高級品牌如百達翡麗、愛彼等，都尚未有這樣的錶款推出，也是同年代唯一可顯示全英文星期字顆的錶款，足見勞力士這款錶的重要性。

1803 維持了約 18 年的生產時間 (1960-1978)，往後被 Ref. 180xx 型號於 1978 年所取代。 盡管如此，現今的日誌型亦繼承了始於1803 所獨有的高貴典雅，而又具非凡霸氣的 “總統” 形象，一直延續至今天。

6510 - 1956 Basel version, cal 1055. 
6511 - first example, available one year, caliber 1055 
6611 - first chronometer 1055 type, micro-stella adjustment 
6613 - diamond bezel 6611 
6612 - smooth bezel 6611 (these are all 1957-1959 vintage) 
1803 - 18k yellow gold, caliber 1555 or 1556, 26 jewels, 1958 to 1976, fluted bezel, plastic crystal, non quickset. 
1802 – white gold, cal 1555 or 1556, 26 jewels, 1958-1979, polished bezel, plastic crystal, non-quickset 
1804 - diamond bezel type, caliber 1556 from 1965 on. 
1806 - textured shoulder / lugs and bezel
1807 - bark bezel, bark dial reference caliber 1555 or 1556 type 
1811 - linen dial reference caliber 1555 or 1556 type 
18026 - Platinum smooth bezel caliber 3055 quickset 1977-1988 sapphire crystal 
18028 - 18k YG smooth bezel caliber 3055 quickset 1977-1988 (sapphire) 
18038 – 18k classic quickset version caliber 3055 (sapphire) 
18039 - WG Bezel version, caliber 3055 (sapphire) 
18046 – Platinum, diamond bezel, caliber 3055 (sapphire) 
18048 – 18k diamond bezel, caliber 3055 (sapphire) 
18049 - WG diamond bezel, caliber 3055 (sapphire) 
18078 – 18k bark finish quickset variant, caliber 3055 (sapphire) 
18079 – WG bark reference caliber 3055 (sapphire)

Rolex ref 16013 Buckley Dial (from 1985)

When it was launched in 1977, the ref. 16013 represented the next generation of the two-tone Datejusts. Transitioning away from the famed ref. 1601 which encompassed both mono and two-tone watches, the then-new 16013 introduced to the Datejust design family a solo two-tone reference number, a contemporary flat dial, a wide array of new and reimagined dial styles, and an upgraded mechanical movement that helped secure the watch a lasting place in Rolex's catalog until the late 1988. Some collector has nickname the ref. 16013 as the American Psycho Rolex, after it found a certain amount of fame on the wrist of the movie’s appalling Patrick Bateman. This was the In watch during the 1980s..

This is a Rolex 16013 Buckley dial from 1985. Rolex Buckley dials are some of the most desired there are, and for good reason – the painted black Roman numerals really lend a sort of enhanced dressy nature to the watch, while giving it the vibe of something like a classic field watch at the same time. What is interesting is that the Buckley dial must come with a black hour, minute and seconds hands. One way to tell the difference between the Rolex 1601 versus the 5 digits 16013 is the pie pan dial versus the flat dial. Moreover for the latter, the bracelet is also more solid.

Beside the 16013, there are other references. The ref. 16003 was identical except for its smooth bezel. The ref. 16008 and 16018 were the solid yellow gold pieces (smooth and fluted surrounds). Likewise with the white gold models, the 16009 and 16019. The stainless steel versions are slightly different. The ref. 16000 is all steel, with a smooth bezel. The ref. 16014 has a steel case with a fluted white gold surround, while the ref. 16030 is also exclusively in steel, but with an engine turned bezel. It comes with a quick set caliber 3035 until 1988 where it was replaced by 3135.

And as with previous generations, the 5 digits ref. 160XX references still had lug holes present, one of the very few things that can help identify the watch as vintage—in most other respects, there is very little aesthetic difference between them and the latest iteration.

Rolex 16013 & 16014