Patek Philippe Ref.5489 image © Sotheby's - Hong Kong 4th April 2012, lot 2448
Browsing through the Sotheby’s Hong Kong watch catalogue I was struck by the understated elegance of lot 2448. The current fashion for very large watches has generally resulted in very few contemporary ‘shaped’ watches – that is watches that are outside the normal categories of circular, cushion and rectangular. As with all things Patek Philippe, this model owes much to the brand’s heritage and reminds me of some of the spectacular shaped watches the company has made in the past…not least of which are the small series of asymmetric watches designed for Patek Philippe by the famous Geneva based jewellery designer Gilbert Albert.
Patek Philippe advertisement from the 1950s showing three models with Gilbert Albert designed cases
In 1955, at the age of only 24, Albert was approached by Patek Philippe to design some prototype watch cases. The bold asymmetry of Albert’s cases were revolutionary, influenced, as they were, by his love of modern sculpture and, in particular, his admiration for Brancusi and Mondrian.
© Gilbert Albert in the workhops of Patek Philippe in the 1950s
The models are, to my mind, the most elegant and unusual vintage case designs ever made. Their enduring appeal means that they are always auction highlights whenever they appear at specialist sales. I rather fancy finding the model shown below in white metal…although some of the asymmetrics were certainly made in white gold and platinum, I’ve never seen a Ref.3412 in white metal…perhaps it was never made but I rather hope that it was.
© Sotheby's, New York, Important Watches, March 6th, 2002