The Patek Philippe Reference 1518 was unveiled in 1941 at the Swiss Watch Fair Basel (now known as Baselworld). The watch was revolutionary because it was the first perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch produced in series by any watch company. Back then, it was not common for watch companies to make complicated watches. In fact, no other manufacturer even attempted a perpetual calendar chronograph for another half century.
Patek only made 281 of them, most of them in yellow gold, about 20% in rose gold, and only 4 in steel. The original price of the watch was 2,800 Swiss Francs.
The watch is 35mm in diameter and features a manual caliber 13'''130 movement, based on a Valjoux ebauche. The movement has straight line lever escapement, Cotes de Geneve decoration, a self-compensating Breguet overcoil, and a swan-neck regulator.
On March 23, 2018, Christy's will be auctioning a PP 1518 that was owned by King Farouk of Egypt and Sudan, an avid watch collector. The watch was produced in 1944 and sold in 1945. It was personalized with the letter "F" and the Royal Crown of Egypt on the case back. King Farouk's father believed that the letter F was lucky, and he gave all six of his children names that started with the letter.
Patek only made 281 of them, most of them in yellow gold, about 20% in rose gold, and only 4 in steel. The original price of the watch was 2,800 Swiss Francs.
The watch is 35mm in diameter and features a manual caliber 13'''130 movement, based on a Valjoux ebauche. The movement has straight line lever escapement, Cotes de Geneve decoration, a self-compensating Breguet overcoil, and a swan-neck regulator.
On March 23, 2018, Christy's will be auctioning a PP 1518 that was owned by King Farouk of Egypt and Sudan, an avid watch collector. The watch was produced in 1944 and sold in 1945. It was personalized with the letter "F" and the Royal Crown of Egypt on the case back. King Farouk's father believed that the letter F was lucky, and he gave all six of his children names that started with the letter.
