PATEK PHILIPPE Ref. 2497 The “Peter S. Knoll”
The case style of the first series, produced by Vichet, stand out from later models that were made by Wenger, as the lugs were longer, with a prominent, accentuated curvature that was later minimized in more recent examples. The stepped clawshaped lugs perfectly complement the beautifully matched, concave bezel and caseback – exhibiting perfect symmetry in design.
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The Vichet casebacks are additionally known for having a flat region in the center of the caseback, whereas Wenger-made casesbacks are rounded. Scholarship tells us that there were a combined total of only 179 examples made across both references 2497 and 2438/1, with movement numbers spanning from 888.000 to 888.178. The present example with movement number 888.041 indicates that this was made in the first quarter of production, and quite possibly, one of the first amongst the 2497 reference. With the majority produced in yellow gold, this pink gold-cased example is exceedingly rare. There are only six examples of reference 2497 in pink gold known that are fitted with a flat Vichet caseback. The engraving on the caseback reads “Peter S. Knoll, New York City, 1980”, which interestingly enough, matches our scholarship indicating that Mr. Knoll, the second generation of the contemporary furniture pioneering family, purchased this piece during a New York watch auction in 1980. Based on the extract from the archives this watch sat as new old stock until it was purchased in 1970, 17 years after it was first manufactured, which helps to further explain how the watch has remained in exceptional condition. As this is arguably one of the very best examples of any reference 2497 in pink gold to appear on the market, it is certain to impress even the most discerning collector.
06/10/15 10:21