Patek Philippe Yellow Gold Dress Watch Ref. 1450 - 'Top Hat' w/ Extract
As far as brand identity goes, Patek Philippe, unlike many brands, is seemingly free of being associated with any one model in particular, and instead enjoys a reputation for quality, craftsmanship, and a long-standing pedigree as a top Swiss manufacturer.
Of course, there are models and model families that are nothing short of icons (e.g., Nautilus, Calatrava, Grand Complications, etc.) but if you dig deep enough there are hidden gems that do not even fall into any of these families.
Take the rectangular dress watch that we have here for example. Dating to circa 1948, this piece is perfectly emblematic of a new era of design coming out of Switzerland from this era.
Beautifully-sized at 21mm x 37mm, it features a 'hooded' lug design, with a widened top and bottom case and 'hidden' case profile. It's nickname, 'Top Hat' is drawn form the resulting appearance of the unique case design. The solid yellow gold case itself remains in strong overall condition and houses a 'brushed' silver dial with applied yellw gold indices and a matching yellow gold 'pencil' handset. The yellow gold crown at 3 o'clock operates the manual-winding movement within.
Furthermore, it is accompanied by an extract from Patek's archives confirming production in 1948 and original date of sale on May 20th, 1949.
Lesser-known the model lines like the Calatrava, complicated chronographs, and the Ellipse, Patek's from the earlier part of the twentieth century into the middle of the century offer surprisingly good value relative to their more established successors. This piece is one of the more unique designs that we have had the pleasure of offering on the website.
Condition Report & Details
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Every Oliver & Clarke timepiece comes with a one-year mechanical warranty starting from the date of delivery. We ensure all watches are in wonderful working condition and are ready for daily wear. Many have been fully serviced by our team of watchmakers.
Please note:
- Due to the vintage or antique nature of many of our watches, they may not keep time as accurately as when new, nor as precisely as quartz or electronic devices.
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