Patek Philippe , Perpetual Calendar, Moonphase, Minute Repeater , Full Hunter Pocket Watch - Horology Deconstructed

High resolution, book format. Deconstruction Patek Philippe Perpetual calendar, moonphase, minute-repeater, full hunter pocket watch (Circa1880) Edition 2 Including additional text and images. by THE NAKED WATCHMAKER Images from www.thenakedwatchmaker.com All texts, photographs and illustrations are Copyright ©2018 The Naked Watchmaker Edition 02 Formatted for use on mobile telephones, laptops and tablets. All rights to this publication are reserved. It would be appreciated by the author that no part of this book may be reproduced, copied or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, xerography and videography recording, with out the permission of The Naked Watchmaker. Patek Philippe & Co. Is a Swiss watch manufacturer located in Geneva and the Vallee de Joux. Polish watchmaker Antoni Patek started making pocket watches in 1839 in Geneva, with his fellow Czech partner Franciszek Czapek. They separated in 1844, in 1845 Patek joined with the French watchmaker Adrien Philippe. Patek Philippe & Co was founded in 1851. A copy of an extract from the Patek Philippe archives proving the originality of the watch shown in the book, the date of manufacturer and eventual original sale date. Introduction A classically executed minute repeater with brass, gilded bridges combined with a separate German silver perpetual calendar module set into the base movement, and 5 piece enamel dial. The day is operated independently of the rest of the QP linked together via the upper pinion on the hour wheel. This full hunter, 18k yellow gold pocket watch with enamel dial, perpetual calendar, moon phases and minute repeater was made in 1880 and sold for the first time on April 19th 1881. The calibre measures 20 ligne, approximatively 45mm in diameter. (One French ligne=2.25583mm, roughly 2¼ mm). The movement number is stamped on to the mainplate 48389. The style of design with separate bars for each wheel was synonymous with both French and Swiss watchmaking as it developed, and differentiated from English, German and American movements, which had the majority of wheels covered by a single bridge or plate. Summary The repeater calibre was most likely made by a third party and purchased by Patek with the specific modifications requested to add the calendar mechanism. The enamel dial may have originally held the brand name on the lower section of the dial covering the moonphases disc. The watch has been well used during its life. On removing the winding crown, the winding crown tube is visibly worn through contact with the crown, and the bow for the chain’s hook also shows wear. These are normal signs of a watch of this age which has been used. As with all watches of this age they were never water resistant and there are signs of corrosion on the steel work. The watch represents the marriage of the third party calibre with a perpetual calendar module. As the brand evolved the majority of the calibres were made in house. Minute Repeater A minute repeater is a complication in a mechanical watch that audibly chimes the hours, quarters and minutes on demand. ie, in this example through a slider being activated, on the side of the case. Once activated a mainspring is wound which activates a series of racks and cams causing two hammers to strike two gongs to sound the time. They originated prior to artificial illumination, to allow the time to be determined in the dark. Perpetual Calendar A perpetual calendar, often referred to as a QP, (the French translation, Quanitiéme Perpetual). Describes a mechanical calendar mechanism that corrects the different lengths of each month as well as February on the leap year. Moon phases The moon phase whee