Patek Philippe Ref. 2523 World Time Cloisonne “Eurasia” A very special watch.
The upcoming spring auction season will bring an astonishing number of vintage Patek Philippe World Time watches. Christie’s auction house will offer three of them at the evening auction on May 22, including famous and unique references. The platinum 1415 HU was sold to the public for the last time in 2002. It once became the world’s most expensive watch and achieved 6.6 million Swiss francs including the cost.
On the other hand, Phillips will provide Patek Philippe Ref. In 2523, “Eurasia” made its first public appearance. This reference was owned by Italian collectors for a long time until the current owner bought it in the mid-1990s. The 2523 is one of only three watches with a cloisonné dial with a map of “Eurasia”-in very good condition. During the preview, I wore it on my wrist. This watch is very beautiful and crisp. It can be said that it will sell for 10 million US dollars or more for every dollar.
Although it is not one of the most complicated high quality fake watches made by Patek Philippe in the 20th century, its world time watches (and pocket watches) are still one of the brand’s most coveted and valuable timepieces.
Earlier than platinum reference. Reference 1415 HU set a record in 2002. The 2523 with a cloisonné dial was often auctioned for more than $1 million in the 1990s. This is the inspiration for today’s world time models (including the most recent ones). 5231J. The fact that world time is the favorite of Osvaldo Patrizzi, the founder of Antiquorum, and then the most important person in watch auctions, undoubtedly contributed to the increase in prices.
The inherent appeal of world time watches is manifold. First of all, they are visually unique and beautiful. The appearance of the enamel version is extremely exquisite, almost no complicated watch can reach. In fact, World Time is the only complicated best Patek Philippe watch with a cloisonne enamel dial.
More broadly, the world time watch also evokes a bygone era, when intercontinental travel was actually an adventure by boat, rail or propeller plane. In fact, the first commercial passenger service using jet airliners began in 1952, when the De Havilland Comet (De Havilland Comet) was not in the right era.
Rolex GMT-Master Rolex (Rolex) GMT-Master was originally developed for the pilots of Pan American Airlines. Perhaps this watch symbolizes the advent of the jet age. The watch came out in 1955. It was produced in 1953 in 2523 and sold a year later. To a large extent, it has entered an era that is about to end.
Needless to say, world time watches are extremely rare. Except for a few worldwide experimental watches, such as rectangular ref. 515 or Calatrava reference. In 96 HU, the world time complexity was only found in two different models.
More than a hundred references. 1415 HU was manufactured during the production process from 1939 to 1954. From 1953 to the end of the 1960s, two to three dozen refs. 2,523 pieces were produced, and there are about 10 of its almost identical successor models. 2523/1.
Phillips said the reason for the scarcity of world time watches is simple-they just don’t sell well. Another fact is that the complexity of the world time was invented by the Geneva engineer Louis Cottier (1894-1966). The most famous invention of this invention is the world time, and it was also provided to Rolex, Vacheron Constantin and Agassiz et al.
He invented many complications for Patek Philippe, including linear timing display. 3414 (reproduced by Urwerk in Hyundai). All time watches in the world are powered by a 12-tooth movement (ie cal movement). Reference 12-400. 2523 and cal. Refer to 12-120 in. 1415-Cottier added the world time module to the bottom board. According to Phillips, Cotier also produced the hands of the world time model and assembled the finished watch.
Patek Philippe fake officially describes it as “Europe”, the map on the map. Although there are not many Asians, 2523 is called Eurasia. Perhaps it is an expedient measure to increase the attractiveness of Asian customers. “Eurasia” is relatively uncommon in cloisonne maps found on referees. In 2523, only three are known. The most numbered version of the cloisonné map. The year 2523 is North America, and there are 6 known.
Refer to this example. 2523 is both original and well-preserved. The box retains many original shapes and lines. This quality is particularly evident on the “flank” lugs, which are stepped on the side and carved with small planes along the edges. At the same time, these signs retain deep relief.
The dial is also crisp, the color of the enamel remains vivid, and there is no crack or damage on the surface. This watch looks very good to my own eyes.
Although it has a very high valuation compared to the valuation obtained by Christie’s in the rose gold watch on the blue dial in 2019, the watch market has been developing since then, and demand and prices have generally changed. More powerful. In the past two years, there have been some obvious examples of genres in antique Wholesale watch collections, but none in the references. Given its unique nature, 2523 may benefit from the rising market.