Lot 237

Patek Philippe Genève, "Gilbert Albert", Movement No. 857245, Case No. 2615136, Ref. 3424, Cal. 8'''85, 26 x 37 mm, circa 1961
A gentleman's eccentric, extremely rare, asymmetrical Geneva wristwatch, designed by Gilbert Albert. According to the Patek Philippe extract from the archives, the watch was sold on September 4th, 1981 - with Patek Philippe extract from the archives
Case: 18k gold, rhomboid-shaped asymmetrical case with curved stepped sides, push back, 18k Patek Philippe gold buckle. Dial: silvered. Movm.: bridge movement, Glucydur screw balance.
Patek Philippe brought young jewellery designer Gilbert Albert of Geneva on board in 1955; the aim was the creation of a series of striking and unusual wristwatches. Albert was an extremely talented artist with a passion for modern art such as the works by Brancusi and Mondrian; the bold and extraordinary cases he designed for Patek Philippe are as compelling today as they were on the day of their creation.
This watch is part of the famed "Ricochet" collection of asymmetrical watches; they are described and illustrated on pages 78, 163 (ref. 3424 in platinum with diamond-set bezel), 187 and 188 of Martin Huber & Alan Banbery’s "Patek Philippe Wristwatches", 2nd edition. Regrettably many of these radical designs never went into production – most likely because the commercial success of such unusual designs was deemed unlikely.
There is only a small number of wristwatches that have achieved such a cult following as the asymmetric designs by Patek Philippe. Amongst the collectors the legendary reference 3424 is considered to be more modern than many watches of the current production range – and that is 40 years after it was first launched. It boasts a striking and cutting-edge design that is guaranteed to catch anyone’s eye, anywhere, anytime.
The charmingly aged silvered dial with its raised hour indexes and the enamel lettering and the lugs with the clearly visible punch marks show the original condition of this remarkable piece.