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The “Cobra”
The Patek Philippe Ref. 3414 is nicknamed the “Cobra” because it was the main source of inspiration for the modern Urwerk UR-CC1 King Cobra.
This wristwatch, with its dual linear display of hours (at the bottom) and minutes (at the top), wad designed by legendary designer Gilbert Albert.
credit: Bibliothèque de Genève (Gilbert Albert), @art_of_horology_ (watch) & kids.nationalgeographic (cobra)
The yellow gold case measures 27.3 x 43.8 x 15.8 mm and the total length of the yellow gold bracelet is about 190 mm.
credit: @wow.sg
The watch is on display at the Patek Philippe Museum, Inv. P-110, in the window no. 73, dedicated to the Gilbert Albert timepieces.
credit: personal photo
However, the mechanism was invented and engineered in 1958 by Louis Cottier, best known for his World Time complication.
credit: Oracle Time
It involves two synthetic superimposed cylinders, half white and half black:
- one for the hours (making one rotation every 12 hours)
- and the other for the minutes (making one rotation every 60 minutes)
Surprisingly, the superimposed cylinders are linked to and powered by the legendary hand-wound caliber 9-90, which equips most of the Patek Philippe shaped watches from the 1940s and 1950s.
credit: Swisswatches Magazine
The watch is presented in detail on page 234 of the book by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, Patek Philippe Genève Wristwatches (second edition, 1998).
As you can read, a patent on the mechanism was filed in 1959 but the watch never went into serial production (probably because the mechanism wasn't efficient enough) and the prototype remains a piece unique.
The watch is also described on page 353 of Volume II of the Patek Philippe Museum catalog:
credit: personal photos of my own copy of each book
Here are three more photos of the “Cobra” (stupidly I only photographed the Gilbert Albert display window as a whole):
credit: Tony Traina (Unpolished), cool hunting & @robengstrom1832
And, finally, here are some photos of a rare so-called "albino" version of the main successor to the Patek Philippe “Cobra” ref. 3414: the Urwerk UR-CC1 King Cobra:
credit: Watch Guru
Of course, it's not a watch I would personally want to wear, but it remains a fascinating piece of watchmaking history.
Don't you think so too?
Thanks for reading.
Best, Emmanuel
The “Cobra”
The Patek Philippe Ref. 3414 is nicknamed the “ Cobra ” because it was the main source of inspiration for the modern Urwerk UR-CC1 King Cobra . This wristwatch , with its dual linear display of hours (at the bottom) and minutes (at the top), wad designed ...
Yes, I agree: even judging by Gilbert Albert's own standards, it's far from his most successful creation.
But that's not the point: the point is Louis Cottier's creativity, which, as the recent 5249R-001 Crow and Fox also reminds us, extended well beyond the World Time complication to which he is generally reduced. And then, when you think about it: a manufac...
Like you, I am enthusiastic about this watch,
but I don't think I would wear it... The design is a little over-the-top for me. Best, Emmanuel
I find it amazing to think that at some point
Louis Cottier and Gilbert Albert were top PP collaborators. And it’s fascinating to see how the creativity of Cottier expanded way beyond the World Time complication. Best, Emmanuel
