Patek Philippe: Vintage Chronograph 1953 "Museum piece"
Ref. n°: 1579
100.000 €
Details and description
| Condition : | Very good |
| Year : | 11/1955 |
| Material : | Yellow gold |
| Dimensions : | 36 mm |
| Glass : | Plexi |
| Caliber : | Handwinding |
| Bracelet/strap : | Alligator |
| Buckle : | Tang buckle |
| Box : | Service box |
| Extract of archives : | Yes |
| Serviced : | 12/2023 |
| Warranty : | 12 months |
Introduced in 1943, Patek Philippe’s reference 1579 seductively lures the aesthete with its unusual lugs, thick bezel and large opening to the dial, making it elegantly unconventional and idiosyncratic.
In 1943, Patek Philippe introduced an interesting and incredibly daring new large-sized chronograph in the form of the highly stylised reference 1579 “spider lugs” chronograph. The context in which the Stern family launched this extraordinary timepiece would not be lost on us today. The world was going through tremendous social and artistic upheaval. It was at the end of the Art Deco era and the beginning of the modernist movement. The Second World War was still ongoing. And amidst this maelstrom of confusion, Patek Philippe, at the behest of Charles and Jean Stern, unveiled a watch that suddenly silenced all the chatter, the sensory overload and the peripheral voices.
Because the 1579 was so unique and so boldly different, collectors had no choice but to stop and take notice. I’ve used the following quote twice now in recent stories, such is my belief in it. In the words of Toni Morrison, “This is the precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilisations heal.” And I love the 1579 because I feel that this was an attempt by the Stern brothers to help the world around them heal, through the creation of beauty.
This 36mm watch was manufactured in an estimated total of approximately 450 examples, primarily in yellow-gold cases, with just 82 known examples in rose gold and seven known examples in stainless steel.
A mythical platinum version was also made in three known examples, each with different dials and bearing consecutive case numbers. One of these platinum Patek 1579s was sold at Christie’s in November 2012 for the hammer price of 1,539,000 Swiss francs.
Reference 1579 is the only Patek Philippe chronograph that featured stylized lugs. With the ref 1579 its fanciful lugs, the collectors gave the watch its nickname of “Spider Lugs” chronograph.
This unusual feature propelled this watch to one of the most impressive case designs of the 1950s.
Maybe due to the eccentric lugs Patek Philippe did not offer the same dial variety as with its other references and over the course of its production, Stern Frères produced two series of dials for the reference 1579 that can be differentiated by the shape of the indexes.
The first series dials (1943-1949) with Arabic numerals and baton indexes and the seconds series dials (1950-1964) with Arabic numerals and square indexes. 82 known in pink gold, 7 in steel, 3 in platinum and 2 in steel/gold. We do not have exact production numbers in yellow gold.
The watch is pristine condition, manufactured in 1953 and sold in 1955 as described on the extract of archives.
In 1943, Patek Philippe introduced an interesting and incredibly daring new large-sized chronograph in the form of the highly stylised reference 1579 “spider lugs” chronograph. The context in which the Stern family launched this extraordinary timepiece would not be lost on us today. The world was going through tremendous social and artistic upheaval. It was at the end of the Art Deco era and the beginning of the modernist movement. The Second World War was still ongoing. And amidst this maelstrom of confusion, Patek Philippe, at the behest of Charles and Jean Stern, unveiled a watch that suddenly silenced all the chatter, the sensory overload and the peripheral voices.
Because the 1579 was so unique and so boldly different, collectors had no choice but to stop and take notice. I’ve used the following quote twice now in recent stories, such is my belief in it. In the words of Toni Morrison, “This is the precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilisations heal.” And I love the 1579 because I feel that this was an attempt by the Stern brothers to help the world around them heal, through the creation of beauty.
This 36mm watch was manufactured in an estimated total of approximately 450 examples, primarily in yellow-gold cases, with just 82 known examples in rose gold and seven known examples in stainless steel.
A mythical platinum version was also made in three known examples, each with different dials and bearing consecutive case numbers. One of these platinum Patek 1579s was sold at Christie’s in November 2012 for the hammer price of 1,539,000 Swiss francs.
Reference 1579 is the only Patek Philippe chronograph that featured stylized lugs. With the ref 1579 its fanciful lugs, the collectors gave the watch its nickname of “Spider Lugs” chronograph.
This unusual feature propelled this watch to one of the most impressive case designs of the 1950s.
Maybe due to the eccentric lugs Patek Philippe did not offer the same dial variety as with its other references and over the course of its production, Stern Frères produced two series of dials for the reference 1579 that can be differentiated by the shape of the indexes.
The first series dials (1943-1949) with Arabic numerals and baton indexes and the seconds series dials (1950-1964) with Arabic numerals and square indexes. 82 known in pink gold, 7 in steel, 3 in platinum and 2 in steel/gold. We do not have exact production numbers in yellow gold.
The watch is pristine condition, manufactured in 1953 and sold in 1955 as described on the extract of archives.
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