Vintage
Edz's intriguing discovery of a Patek Philippe Reference 2526 with a 1955 movement sold in 1985 raises fascinating questions about Patek Philippe's historical practices. This anomaly, documented in an Extract from the Archives, prompts a deep dive into the brand's operational nuances during that era. Edz's post invites the community to unravel the mystery behind such a significant time gap between movement manufacture and final sale.
The Patek Philippe Reference 2526 is notable as the brand's first serially produced automatic wristwatch. Introduced in 1953, it marked a significant technical advancement for Patek Philippe, housing a self-winding movement at a time when manual-wind mechanisms were still prevalent. This reference is recognized for its clean aesthetic and robust construction, establishing a foundation for future automatic timepieces from the manufacture.
The watch features a 35 mm case, available in 18k yellow gold, 18k rose gold, or platinum. It is powered by the caliber 12-600 AT, an automatic movement with a Gyromax balance and a solid gold rotor, offering a power reserve of approximately 40 hours. The crystal is acrylic, protecting a silver dial that often features enamel. The case design is characterized by its smooth bezel and often includes a screw-down case back, contributing to its water resistance.
For collectors, the Reference 2526 is highly sought after due to its historical significance as Patek Philippe's inaugural automatic model. Variants exist with different dial configurations, including those with applied indexes and small seconds, which can vary between the gold and platinum versions. The presence of original bracelets, particularly on rose gold models, can also add to its collectibility, as these were less common than leather strap configurations.
but the year 1955 is on it twice.
Excluding any typo error which I doubt very much from Patek Philippe! There are 2 possible reasons. 1. The movement was replaced with the same new old stock originally made in 'Date' 2. It was produced with a new old stock movement So long the watch movement number matches the watch case number you are doing fine.
Reference 2526 was produced through the 1950's in very few pieces (of which less than 500 in yellow gold, the most common metal). The 12-600 movement, historically the first automatic movement made by Patek, as far as I know was also discontinued around the same time. Is this an Extract that you received for your watch? A typo is of course always possible, but the odds would seem minimal (and for this certificate, a typo would have occurred twice! ;-) Not being familiar with this specific watch
I would contact Patek Philippe as get all this cleared
Please follow up with Patek Philippe and let us know what they say. In my reading, I remember mention being made of this type of thing happening. You may have a watch that was re-cased due to the original case being damaged. Patek Philippe was rather a different ( more personal) company not too long ago. They would work with their clients large and small and try to accommodate requests as best they could. Not so much ( if at all) nowadays. Thanks for posting this, please let us know what they sa
Also confirmed on the extract. Br, Dirk
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