"This wrist watch is for the man whose interests go beyond the horizon." That's what the Patek Philippe advertisement for this watch noted back in the day. By back in the day, we're referring to the early twentieth century. A period of globalisation, the world becoming more connected and the start of World War II. Patek Philippe felt the need to produce a watch that allowed the wearer to read the local time as well as the time in multiple other parts of the world. The Swiss watch brand didn't do it solely. They partnered with Louis Cottier, who invented this complication style. A rotating bezel with 24 cities engraved - later series even have 42 cities - and a 24-hour ring with applied sun and moon icons to indicate noon or midnight. All powered by the manual-winding caliber 12-120 HU (Heure Universelle). It is the first serially-produced World Time and has been in production for 17 years starting in 1937. This is quite long. However, bear in mind that only a handful were made each year. Resulting in a total number of 82 yellow gold, 32 rose gold and a single platinum example. So far, only the half has surfaced the market of which the biggest part is in poor condition. We are very proud to add this excellent example to our collection! It is carried out in 18k yellow gold. The three-piece case is strong. The tear drop shaped lugs are round and full and give this watch just a bunch of class and elegance. The ribbed bezel is in sharp condition and clearly displays the 24 enamelled city names in French. The diameter is only 31 mm, but the 1415 perfectly shows that less is more. It has the most common, yet very pleasing dial configuration; an ivory tone with applied baton markers and Roman quarters. Also, notice the characteristic hour hand with the large circle and the faceted minute hand perfectly matching the romantic icons of the sun and moon. This 1415 dates back to 1946 and was sold in 1949 according to the Extract from the Archives. It first popped up in 2013, when it was auctioned in New York. The stylish, Italian - that's a pleonasm - gentleman who bought it, paired it with its gorgeous yellow gold Gay Frères bracelet. As Patek Philippe stated in the same advertisement mentioned in the introduction: "In effect it is twenty-four watches in one – for around its face is a sliding rim that tell at a turn the time in the major cities of the world’s twenty-four time belts."
- extrasExtract from the Archives
- year1946
- reference1415
- modelWorld Time
