Patek Philippe White Gold Ref. 2526 with Diamond Index Dial Watch, 1956

Few time-only watches occupy as important a position in Patek Philippes history as the reference 2526. Introduced in 1953, it was the manufactures first serially produced automatic wristwatch, created around the celebrated calibre 12-600 AT. Measuring approximately 35.5mm-36mm, its substantial screw-back case and broad dial gave the watch unusual presence for the period, while establishing a design that remains remarkably contemporary more than seventy years later.

The present example, manufactured in 1955 and sold in 1956, belongs to one of the rarest expressions of the reference. While the overwhelming majority of 2526s were produced in yellow gold, only a very small number were made in white gold. Published scholarship has suggested production of approximately 70 white-gold examples, with only a fraction having surfaced publicly.

Its rarity is further heightened by the diamond-set dial, confirmed by the accompanying Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives. Unlike the enamel dials most closely associated with the reference, these diamond executions use a metallic dial plate. Here, faceted white-gold baton indexes are punctuated by diamonds at the quarters, with brilliant-cut stones at three, six and nine oclock and a baguette-cut diamond at twelve.

More compelling still is the condition of the dial. Over seven decades, its surface has developed a rich, warm patina, shifting through champagne, pale gold and ochre depending on the light. Set against the cool white-gold case, diamond indexes and dauphine hands, the result is far removed from the monochromatic appearance the watch would have presented when new. It is an unusually beautiful example of the character that can only develop through age.

The watch is fitted to a period white-gold bracelet whose clasp is engraved Soto Largo. The bracelet is not recorded on the Extract from the Archives, so its originality to the watch cannot be stated definitively. Nevertheless, the engraving provides a compelling suggestion that the watch passed through the celebrated Spanish retailer and may have been paired with the bracelet at or near the time of sale. Intriguingly, other white-gold, diamond-dial examples of the reference 2526 have surfaced with Soto Largo-signed bracelets, establishing a precedent for this particularly attractive combination.

At the heart of the watch is the calibre 12-600 AT, Patek Philippes first automatic movement and one of the great self-winding calibres of the twentieth century. Its full-rotor architecture, Gyromax balance and elaborately finished 18k gold rotor represented a significant technical milestone for the manufacture and have helped make the 2526 far more than simply an elegant mid-century dress watch.

A reference 2526 in any configuration is an important Patek Philippe. In white gold, with an archive-confirmed diamond dial, remarkable natural patina and a period Soto Largo-signed bracelet, the present watch represents a far more esoteric interpretation of the modelcombining the historical importance of Patek Philippes first automatic wristwatch with the individuality and character that make the best vintage watches so compelling.