Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Yellow Gold: Reference 1518


Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph
Yellow Gold: Reference 1518

This beautiful Reference 1518 was the first production Perpetual Calendar Chronograph made by Patek Philippe. This beauty incorporates the calibre 13Q''' Chronographe. Patek Philippe began producing the Reference 1518 in 1941 (during World War II) and the last one was produced in 1954.

Patek Philippe only made 281 of the Reference 1518 model, most of which came in yellow and pink gold. There are 47 pink gold examples known to exist today. The example below appears courtesy of Antiquorum. Patek Philippe also made an extremely rare stainless steel version, of which there are 4 known examples in existence today.


Patek Philippe ultimately replaced the Reference 1518 with the Reference 2499 and the Reference 2499/100. The Reference 2499 began production in 1951 and the last example was produced in 1985.


Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph
Stainless Steel: Reference 1518

Alfredo Parmamico is one of the top vintage Patek Philippe collectors (from Italy) and he sent in the photo below of his extremely rare stainless steel Patek Philippe Reference 1518, which is 1 of only 4 known examples. If I recall correctly, Patek Philippe made the stainless steel versions during the World War II years because there was a gold shortage in Switzerland.

It appears in the photo, because of the lighting angle, the moon phase disc might be black, but it's the standard beautiful cobalt-blue color. I know the moon phase disc is cobalt-blue because I have seen other photos of this actual watch.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Special Platinum Mecca World Edition Timer


Patek Philippe World Time
Special Platinum Mecca World Edition Timer
Emerald Green Mecca Dial
Reference 5130P: Automatic Caliber 240HU

This is a beautiful special edition Patek Philippe know as the "Mecca" World Timer. Patek Philippe only made 150 of these platinum beauties and they are already sold-out.


Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Paul McCartney: Patek Philippe Aquanaut

...Patek Philippe Super Coolness...

Paul McCartney
Patek Philippe Aquanaut
Stainless Steel: Reference 5167A

I realize if you follow Jake's Patek Philippe World this will blow your mind, particularly after just seeing former Beatle, John Lennon wearing his Patek Philippe Triple Date Chronograph, but you are not hallucinating, here is another former Beatle, this time Paul McCartney, in a recent photo wearing a Patek Philippe Aquanaut on a rubber Patek Philippe strap with a deployant clasp!!!!


I know, I know, what are the odds of lightning striking twice in the exact same place? Well you saw it happen here ;-) Maybe I should change the name of Jake's Patek Phillipe World to Jake's Beatles Patek Phillipe World!!! Here is a photo of the same model of Patek Philippe Aquanaut [Reference 5167] that Paul McCartney is wearing in the photos.


In the photo below you see Paul McCartney's Patek Philippe deployant clasp with the seal of Calatrava logo etched into it.



"Somebody said to me, 'But the Beatles were anti-materialistic.' That's a huge myth. John and I literally used to sit down and say, 'Now, let's write a swimming pool.'" –Paul McCartney

If you look closely at the deployant buckle, in the photo above and below, you notice the Patek Philippe Seal Of Calatrava.


Paul McCartney just got married a few days ago, and he looks great at age 69!!! Paul McCartney wore his Patek Philippe at his wedding as seen in these photos.




Sunday, October 9, 2011

John Lennon: Yellow Gold Patek Philippe Moonphase


...Patek Philippe Super Coolness...

John Lennon
Yellow Gold Patek Philippe Chronograph
[Reference 2499]

What a day it is today in the world of the former Beatles!!! Today, Sir Paul McCartney got married in England, and today also marks John Lennon's 71st birthday, so I thought I would publish this fascinating story.

John Lennon is pictured below, exactly 31 years ago–today–on his 40th Birthday, in New York City, and he is wearing his Patek Philippe Triple Date Moonphase. Of course, John Lennon was a very successful solo recording artist, but he is best known for being one of the original Beatles. The Beatles are arguably the greatest recording group in history.

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."–John Lennon

John Lennon is pictured above wearing his Patek Philippe wristwatch

There is a lot of fascinating detail behind this photo. The photo was taken by John's wife, Yoko Ono, on his 40th Birthday. Yoko knitted the tie around John's neck and gave it to him for his birthday. Yoko took the photo below, before she took the one above. Notice that in the photo below John is wearing the American Flag pin on his shirt and in the photo above he moved it onto his necktie.

The pin was a birthday gift from Yoko and it was made from rubies, sapphires and diamonds, and it cost $75,000 in 1980. It is likely the U.S. Flag pin came from Tiffany & Company, or Cartier, or Harry Winston in New York. It seems clear to me that in the photo above, John is showing-off his Patek Philippe with his flag pin, and perhaps he also received his Patek Philippe as a gift for his 40th birthday?


This in-and-of-itself is kind of bizarre, since John Lennon had been such a hippie, but it makes sense because in these images, taken less than 2 months before he died, he is starting to look clean-cut, contemporary and preppy. Of course, it was 1980 and men's style was moving quickly away from the funky vibe of the 1970s, and getting more clean-cut, and John Lennon was alway ahead of the style curve.


It also crosses my mind that photos above were taken in 1980. Trendy digital quartz watches had been around for a decade, and the movement toward beautiful mechanical watches really started to get underway in the early 1980s, which once again puts John Lennon ahead of the curve. For some reason, the images of John Lennon above remind me of an late 1970s or early 1980s Nagel Print.

John Lennon's Patek Philippe Moonphase in the photo above is similar to the 1971 Patek Philippe Chronograph pictured below, which is a 37.7mm pink gold Reference 2499. This beautiful Patek Philippe Reference 2499 sold at Christie's Hong Kong on May 30, 2011 for $1,205,330.



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