Patek Philippe Ref.2585A:

A deep dive into one of the rarest steel vintage Patek Philippe ever made

We have the pleasure of offering a unique Patek Philippe Ref.2585A with radium lume which is available now in the collection here. Given the rarity, importance and frankly anomalous nature of the watch, we felt it only befitting to write a dedicated deep dive into this trophy reference. Together we will delve into the history, rarity and importance of the only vintage Patek Philippe ever made in steel with the brands most important self-winding calibre and talk about each of the 3 examples known including condition. 

Introduction

Among Patek Philippe’s vintage canon, there exists few references that sit not merely at the summit of desirability and rarity, but outside the conventional framework by which the manufacture’s output is usually understood. The stainless-steel reference 2585A belongs firmly in that category. It is not simply rare; it is structurally anomalous: a time-only automatic (self-winding as the brand preferred to say) Patek Philippe, powered by the manufacture’s most refined self-winding calibre, housed in stainless steel at a time when both the movement and the material were treated with considerable restraint.

Produced in extraordinarily small numbers and never formally promoted, the ref. 2585A represents a true anomaly in the production of the brand in the period and rightly earns itself the status of a grail reference and one of the most important time-only vintage Patek Philippe watches.

Stainless Steel Patek Philippe: Rarity by philosophy and design.

To understand the significance of the ref. 2585A, it is necessary to consider why stainless-steel Patek Philippe watches were, almost without exception, the rarest expressions of their respective references.

Throughout the mid-twentieth century, gold and in rarer cases (excuse the pun!) platinum were the default choices for the manufacture’s production. We can attribute this partly to philosophy. Whereas steel was regarded as more utilitarian, utilised in tool watches by brands in the era, the fine metals were considered more befitting of dress watches and high complications which were of course the brands focus at the time; in some ways a vehicle through which to distinguish themselves from other brands and maintain position at the peak of haute horology, by almost solely reserving production for the fine metals.

We should also consider that in the pre and even post war years, the quality of stainless steel for watches in terms of anti-corrosion properties was often less than desirable. One only needs to look at many of the rare 1940’s watches with their corroded case-back’s to understand this point. We have to remember that unlike other objects these watches were worn against the skin, and one’s sweaty wrist over the course of time was enough to cause such corrosion due to the PH levels and this is before even considering the effect of water and environmental conditions. It is for this reason you will observe ref.570 in steel often with service replacement cases for example, denoted by the two numbers stamped on the back of the lug. Patek Philippe being a beacon of quality would want to ensure their watches not only left the manufacture looking superb but maintained excellent quality standards over time. In the 1950’s (when these watches were produced) corrosion resistant stainless steel improved greatly and we see it utilised to produce incredible watches which have stood the test of time such as the introduction of the Rolex submariner. We would therefore state that, given the production years of this specific reference, this reason of why Patek Philippe produced such a limited number of watches in steel, had much less of an effect than my initial point regarding overall philosophy and norms for such fine watches.

The final point is to consider the hardness of the physical materials. Stainless Steel (depending on carbon content) being harder than gold or even platinum, means it is much more difficult to machine and required dedicated equipment and craft. For cast parts, though temperatures might suggest otherwise, stainless steel requires specialist and dedicated machinery as we can say from experience having endured a long, complicated and at times frustrating path to create our bespoke buckles here in the UK (coming in 2026, precision manufactured and not cast in the end!). One should also consider the historical context from the manufacture, Patek Philippe (Stern Frères for indexes) and the respective Master Casemaker’s they utilised, coming from a history of producing pocket watches and dress watches from the beginning in gold, were set up for production in the fine metals. Whereas conversely Rolex, for example, focused on steel production from early in the manufacture’s history. The brands were set up for their distinct respective modus operandi and production followed suit.

This combination of factors meant that stainless steel Patek Philippe produced very few stainless steel watches and for those few references which were, steel cases are typically the rarest examples of each reference respectively. This pattern is visible across several of the manufacture’s most significant references. The ultimate example of course being the perpetual-calendar chronograph ref. 1518, which according to Patek Philippe literature was produced in 281 examples, of which only 4 are known in stainless steel. We had the pleasure of seeing 2 of those incredible watches come to market this autumn and achieve record sums, many multiples higher than the references production in yellow gold and even the beautiful rose gold examples. Already rare watches in their own rights, these results highlight the significance of the manufacture’s rare production and thus grail nature of the brands anomalous production in steel.

Above an incredible ref.1518A sold this autumn in private treaty by the esteemed Davide Parmiagani of Monaco Legend Group, in collaboration with Roman Sharf of Luxury Bazaar. Photo Credit: Monaco Legend

The second 1518A sold this autumn season by Phillips Geneva, in association with Bacs and Russo for an incredible sum of approximately $17.6m all in. Photo Credit: Phillips

This pattern of rarity, desirability and value can be observed through the few references to feature steel cases, for example ref.130 or 1463 chronographs, ubiquitous in yellow gold, becoming an entirely different proposition when encountered in steel, a pattern which continues in other time-only Calatrava such as the ref. 96, 530 or 570 to name a few, in which the rare steel examples have reached incredible levels in auction. The only exception which comes to mind in regards to rarity is the ostensibly utilitarian reference ref. 565 with waterproof case, in which even then the stainless steel examples typically demand the highest results. In each application generally, steel was not an alternative; it was an exception and the ref. 2585A represents one of the most extreme expressions of this philosophy.

What stands the ref.2585A apart is that it doesn’t form part of a rare steel production of an otherwise wider produced reference. It stands alone as a dedicated reference, made only in steel, with a unique case made only for this reference; that very concept represents a unicorn in the Patek Philippe vintage canon of which the significance cannot be understated!

When the first example came to market in Christie’s in 2005, the paper catalogue noted that just 3-4 examples were made, since then it has been reported that just 3 were made and it has been speculated that the reference may have been made purely as a prototype, hence the reference was never marketed, perhaps Patek Philippe testing the idea of a refined sports watch in their own image and design ideals. It is for these reasons that the ref.2585A is one of the rarest Stainless Steel Patek Philippe ever created.

That is before even considering that it is the only steel reference Patek Philippe ever made to utilise their first self-winding calibre 12-600AT, widely regarded as the nicest automatic movement of the era, making it not only one of the rarest Patek Philippe but one of the rarest automatic watches ever, period.

The Calibre 12-600 AT

If steel was treated with contemplation, automatic self-winding was approached with equal deliberation. For two decades other brands, most notably Rolex with their perpetual central rotor patent in 1931 (which manufacturer’s had to wait to expire) had produced automatic watches. It was not until 1953 that Patek Philippe introduced its first serially produced automatic calibre — and when it did so, it did so emphatically and without compromise.

That movement was the calibre 12-600 AT.

Photo of the calibre 12-600AT of the present watch showing a Geneva seal stamped on the bridge, geneva stripe finished bridges and the solid 18k rotor. Photo credit, OBW Collection.

Launched in 1953, the calibre 12-600 AT is widely regarded as the finest automatic movement of its era. It was conceived not merely to compete with contemporary self-winding calibres, but to surpass them both technically and aesthetically.

The movement features a bi-directional solid 18k gold rotor, intricately guilloché engine-turned, Gyromax balance and 30 jewels. The bridges were intricately finished with Geneva stripes, chamfered bevels and polished sinks. The impressive quality of the movement optimised by it being stamped twice with the Geneva seal, a certification which required movements meet strict criteria and the highest quality standards.

Given the incredible craftsmanship of the calibre and in order to distance itself from other automatic watches which were generally more utilitarian whilst also providing a nod to Patek Philippe creating the first ‘Stem-Winding’ pocket watch in 1840, Patek Philippe preferred to refer to the calibre as ‘Self-Winding” and provided material to retailers explaining as such.

Recommended read: The renowned John Reardon of Collectability wrote a interesting article on the ref.2526, including a copy of a technical data sheet provided to Patek Philippe retailer’s in the early 1950’s, explaining to them how to speak to their clients about the then new calibre 12-600AT. Read the full article here.

The movement naturally required a great deal of technical development to execute it to such a high standard. Crucially, Patek Philippe therefore reserved the 12-600 AT for the manufacture’s most important watches, most notably in the revered ref. 2526 in which it debuted in the same year as the calibres inception, Patek Philippe’s first automatic Calatrava, produced exclusively in yellow gold, pink gold, white gold, and platinum. Special examples of the ref. 2526, particularly those in platinum and white gold or those fitted with black dials, have since achieved landmark prices and are regarded as cornerstones of time-only vintage Patek Philippe.

Below are a few of varied examples of rare grand feu dial ref.2526 followed by a couple of rare metal dial iterations:

Above, a beautiful 2526R with black grand feu dial, sold by Christie's Geneva in May 2024 for an impressive CHF680,400 all in. Photo Credit: Christie's

Above, picture of the 2526J JB Champion, the first calibre 12-600AT, movement number 760,000. A great example of the typical first series layout ref.2526J. Sold by Sotheby's Hong Kong in May 2024 for the incredible result of approx. USD730k. Photo credit, Sotheby's.

Above, a beautiful 2526R with silvered dial with lapped indexes with radium lume and radium hands. Sold by Christie's Geneva in May 2007. Photo credit, Christie's.

Above, an exciting ref.2526P with silvered dial with diamond hour markers. Sold by Christie's Hong Kong in May 2021, for approx. $483k.

One cannot help but wonder what rapturous reception a stainless steel ref. 2526 with a luminous silvered dial might receive, were such a watch to exist. In many respects, the ref. 2585A represents the closest possible answer to that hypothetical. After all we are talking about the same movement, with the same configuration dial used as the rare metal luminous iterations, dauphine hands and a water resistant case of the same size as the 2526, only with with longer lugs meaning it sits larger still.

Ref.2585A: The Case.

The stainless-steel case of the ref. 2585A exemplifies mid-century Patek Philippe design at its most confident. Measuring approximately 36 mm in diameter and an impressive 43mm in length lug tip to tip, it combines a wide, flat bezel with beveled edge and long, faceted lugs. It strikes a great balance between interesting curves and sharp faceted edges, such of those chamfered edges meet and appear to swoop into the beveled bezel and the edge of the case band. In steel, these architectural elements combine to take on a clarity and visual tension that manages to feel refined and rugged all at once.

Originally, the case-back featured circular brushing, contrasting subtly with the mirror polished surfaces of the bezel and lugs (a nightmare for photographers to photograph by the way, whilst beautiful, pictures really don’t do the watch justice!). The clean design is one that pairs perfectly with the equally graceful dial, the silvered satin partnering with the steel case and the faceted hour markers and dauphine hands mirroring those of the bezel and lugs. The result is a watch that feels quietly assertive, elegant without fragility, and entirely appropriate for its material. It is a steel watch that still feels most appropriately ‘Patek Philippe’, with forms that appear to have been crafted with fine metals and the most refined of dress watches in mind.

It is no surprise then to learn that the cases were made by Master Casemaker Antoine Gerlach, the celebrated Casemaker who specialised in both gold and steel cases. Gerlach made cases for a number of important references for Patek Philippe including the ref.570 for example and some of the ref.1518 in steel.

Ref.2585A: The Dial

The dial of the ref. 2585A is an engraved enamel dial on a silvered base, produced by Stern Frères. The satin opaline surface exhibits subtle tonal shifts depending on light and angle, alternating between crisp metallic silver and warmer, creamy hues, something you will note later on the Christie’s 2005/Phillip’s 2015 example and the present example we have. You will note too interesting nuances in the engraved enamel of the subdial exhibited on these two examples with original dials, in which certain markers have serif esque kicks off at the end, a result of following the same engraving markings. Each of the 3 examples features applied lapped white-gold bullet hour markers which lend clarity and visual balance, and on the present unique example are filled with original radium lume, confirmed by Patek Philippe. As shown later the back of the dial features a dedicated dial code too for this designation, highlighting it was likely a result of a special order.

Ref.2585A: The 3 examples of this mythical steel calatrava

Restoration in Context: : Engraved Enamel and the Question of Preservation

Before discussing the 3 examples known of this great reference. We felt it pertinent to first preface by discussing the subject of restoration to both provide context to the watches being discussed and hopefully to provide some insightful wider context.

Firstly in discussing restoration or condition of the watches here, the intention is not to diminish any example, in fact quite the opposite, each are beautiful watches in their own right. The intention is simply to provide clarity, transparency (in the instance of our watch) and context to the overall subject. One simply cannot expect to compare vintage watches unless the real context of condition has been established.

I appreciate that these comments may differ from what was written at the time of earlier sales and it is not intended as a criticism of any comments at those times. The study of, access to information to and nature of the vintage watch market has changed greatly over time, understanding changes and scholarship evolves. In the case of the first piece for example (and our 3rd example) these represent some of the most well preserved examples of this period, with some of the most minimal/baseline elements of intervention seen across almost any engraved enamel watch of the period. 

Speaking on the wider aspect of this subject as a whole, it is important to understand that the vast majority of engraved enamel dials from this period have been restored in some capacity, this applies to the overwhelming majority of surviving examples, in many references as many as 99% of examples. It is a pattern observed on almost every engraved enamel watch of the period, even those which present apprentice ‘original’ heavy patina have typically seen some form of historic intervention such as cleaning (and I do not mean in the way the term is often used to describe resurfacing etc) or re-silvering as a minimum and have then oxidised over time. Of course in the anomalous examples where a watch truly presents as having had no intervention, it should remain as such, but those few examples that are as such are typically not in a condition deemed as attractive and misconstrued. Likewise a true, natural and stable tropical tone dial can be beautiful, but that is not what we are talking about here, one must remember that firstly lacquered Rolex dials are by nature very different from silvered silver and gold dials which oxidise to black and can damage the surface etc and secondly almost every engraved enamel dials have been previously restored as previously discussed, despite how they may present.

Stern Frères dials, as the highest quality manufacturer of engraved enamel dials, were designed with restoration in mind, utilising removable indexes, engraved indelible enamel inscriptions rather than printed text, silvered surfaces and protective ‘zapon’ lacquer finishes intended to be refreshed during routine servicing. This would often be done as a matter of course, original owners not even necessarily realising, such was the quality of the work and objectively ‘basic’ forms of preservation enacted. Ironically there is now only a small handful of skilled specialist restorers capable of executing work to the desired standard and historic techniques.

What distinguishes exceptional examples is not the absence of intervention, as it is almost never seen, but the quality, restraint, and historical fidelity of the work performed and the resulting preserved condition of the watch.

We must remember these were watches made to be worn and were over the course of decades and as such experienced the effects of environmental conditions, wear, oil, oxidation and age of the course of time; even those that weren’t worn tend to experience the same. Consider vintage cars from the same era as your vintage watch of the 1920’s-1960’s (the period we are mostly discussing in the case of engraved enamel dials) which have seen decades of use and consider the state of condition of those vehicles are seen without having had any form of restoration. It is an important comparable as it is a collectors field in which restoration has been understood and embraced and the best condition examples are those which have had the highest quality forms of restoration over time in order to preserve them.

In many examples, restoration of vintage watches was/is an essential matter of preservation and conservation. For example, take the instance whereby a zapon (the final clear protective lacquer to finish a dial) is compromised whether it is through time, environmental factors, oxidation, historic cleaning and improper sealing, cracking or marks caused by the case fitting or watchmakers tools over the course of time, to provide a few examples. The zapon no longer effectively protects the dial, it can quickly oxidise very dark, then effecting the silvering, pearling, finishing etc, then attacking the surface of the dial itself which can have disastrous consequences if left. This process can happen very quickly in some cases. It could therefore sometimes be beholden to seek intervention to properly preserve the dial at the first signs of such pattern.

See pictures above. I have purposely cropped and covered the inscriptions etc out of respect for the owners and because there should be no judgement, it is purely for the purpose of illustration, this should be regarded as a normal process. These two photos show the same dial in the same year and show how a dial can oxidise quite dramatically in an apparent short space of time due to the factors previously discussed.

Another element to consider is when a dial has previously had an historic intervention but not to the correct standard. For example we have all observed dials that have been ‘cleaned’ with improper vertical brushing or a raw silver finish, rather than a correctly applied satin opaline silvered finish, albeit often historically done with what may have been the best of intentions in order to preserve the dial from such effects as those described before, a result because very few had the correct know-how to execute the correct finishes. In such an instance it should be regarded as of benefit to the watch to see the correct finishing returned to the watch in the most sympathetic manner.

These are just two simple scenarios, there is a multitude of factors and actions that can apply which we will discuss at a later date.

To touch on the polishing of cases more briefly, in itself technically a discipline of restoration; the term unpolished is one that has been thrown around far too often, whilst in recent years it appears to have reduced which is positive. Frankly speaking unless a watch is truly NOS with the original hang tags with traceable provenance etc, the concept is generally a nonsense. Even the most conscious or occasional of wearers of vintage watches now, with the hindsight of knowing these watches are now collectible, a privilege the original owners of the time didn’t have the foresight of, cleans their watch with a cloth etc. Over time this polishes the edges, as does wear etc. Steel or the fine metals for that matter, also dull and become satin over the course of the decades, gather micro scratches from storage even if truly not worn etc. Again without the benefit of what this collectible watches market would become, watchmakers, owners and manufacturers alike would during routine service, polish watches as a matter of course. Almost every watch has been polished and that’s okay. What matters is the state of preservation, how well the lines, proportions, edges and in the case of fine metal cases hallmarks (2 in the case of post 1930’s examples) and inscriptions have been maintained and a careful polish does this, respecting the case and highlighting the original finishes and lines. A skilled careful polish is not simply a matter of polishing wheels and paste, true specialists work with dedicated and sophisticated lapping equipment, hand skills and bespoke jigs etc to ensure angles, facets and lines etc are respected.

This subject of restoration really deserves it’s own dedicated articles as we have only really touched on the basic principles here (and it is still lengthy!) and that is something we intend to do in series over time.

Many top collectors of vintage Patek Philippe have understood a long time that almost every engraved enamel dial vintage watch has received some form of restoration and that it is a natural life cycle of the watch and the collector community as a whole in recent years has largely understood this fact too. One of the wonderful things about collecting vintage Patek Philippe is that it that the condition is quantifiable in this way, where many other brands aren’t so. Our collectors know that we are always transparent when asking about condition and restoration and therefore in writing this article we naturally wanted to do the same and that is the intention here.

We as a community want collecting vintage watches to be transparent etc but we therefore must not only normalise and embrace open discussion of these things but embrace the watches themselves, in the way they deserve. Those who can overcome the psychological hurdle of embracing that a watch in which the restoration is shown or described transparently and honestly, and understand that it is respectfully the same as the interventions the watches in their own collections have all been through historically, despite what they may have previously thought or been told, stand to benefit tremendous value in every sense. Whether it is through learning, understanding and thus attaining true top preserved condition watches or through accessing excellent value propositions, early adopters serve to benefit when the wider market catches up.

Example I — Christie’s 2005/Phillips 2015

Movement no. 765.935 – Case no. 694.413 (manufactured 1958, sold 1960)

Photo credit: Phillips, 2015

This outstanding 2585A first appeared to the market in 2005, before selling in 2015  CHF 785,000, approximately USD843,000 based on the rate at the time, a result that immediately distinguished it from almost every other time-only Patek Philippe wristwatch of the period. Even when the watch first appeared in 2005, it sold for CHF104,400, an outstanding sum for the time. For context the same year two Rolex 6241 ‘Paul Newman’ 18k Daytona sold for practically the same price, and CHF90,605 and CHF108,100 respectively!

The watch was previously part of the collection of Auro Montanari, aka John Goldberger and published in his book “Patek Philippe Steel Watches”, which showcases one of the most important collections of steel Patek Philippe watches in the world. If you don’t have the book, it is available for purchase in app form and is an excellent read.

In that record 2015 sale it is understood to have been acquired by the Patek Philippe museum, further highlighting the rarity and significance of the reference.

When it appeared at Christie’s in 2005, the catalogue mistakenly recorded incorrect case and movement numbers; however, the watch can be confirmed as the same example later sold in 2015, via a small scratch in the subsidiary seconds register and the same strap, as well as by a contemporaneous Hodinkee article which confirms the watch’s identity.⁴

In terms of condition, the watch is exceptionally well preserved. The case has been carefully and lightly polished, retaining strong geometry, and sharp lines, while the dial has been re-silvered etc (pre-2005), the original enamel all very well preserved. As mentioned earlier this demonstrates really the very baseline minimum level of intervention we see on pieces of this era, it is in excellent condition. This outstanding example is the closest comparable in terms of condition to the present watch.

Throughout the case can be observed previous small dings, which have been mirror polished over, for example on the bezel, the facets and edges very well preserved. Photo credits (cropped): “The Rarest Self-Winding Vintage Patek Philippe in the World”, Hodinkee

Note the circular brushing to the centre case-back, partially lost through polish/wear. The correct finishing well exhibited and lines well preserved. Photo credit: "Patek Philippe Steel Watches", John Goldberger, p.352

Example II — Phillips 2017

Photo credit: Phillips, 2017

Movement no. 762.967 – Case no. 694.408 (manufactured 1956, sold 1956)

This example appeared to market in 2017. This second example differs materially in terms of condition. It features a full service replacement/fully reprinted dial with printed text rather than engraved enamel, with a font appropriate for the age of the restoration as opposed to the original font executed on the reference, it is both a different typeface and larger print. The case has been more heavily polished, with softened edges edges noticed to the edge of the bezel and adjoining lug groove facet and altered finishes via the brushed side band and lugs sides. For these reasons we must discount this example as a point of comparison.

Photo credit: Phillips, 2017

Though the original enamel dial would of course preferable, we must still respect the restoration for following the original dial layout whilst using the methods of the era in which the dial was restored. One also must realise that it was likely as a result of the original dial not being in a fit state. The watch is still beautiful, ultimately very useable and still incredibly rare and thus well deserving of its respective price point, achieving an impressive CHF100k (approx. USD102,070) at the time.

Example III - The Present Watch (Manufactured 1960, sold 1960)

Movement no. 766.971 – Case no. 694.416 (manufactured 1960)

This exceptional 2585A is the only original engraved enamel dial example available outside of the Patek Philippe museum and is in equally impressive condition as that 2015 example (Example I). To further expand on the rarity of this already grail reference, this example is unique in configuration, the only example to feature original radium lume indexes and hands. This deviation from the other two dials known is documented on the back of the dial, whereby the dial code of the 'standard' iteration of the dial has been struck through and the dial code to denote this unique deviation struck instead, probably the result of a special order.

The present example distinguishes itself through its original luminous radium dial and hands. Remarkably, the dial required only minimal intervention, superficial cleaning and zapon etc. The original engraved enamel remains exceptionally well preserved, and even the historic silvering has survived without the need for re-silvering, which is virtually unheard of, with a re-silvering observed normally being the baseline minimum on almost every engraved enamel dial watch of this era.

To demonstrate this and provide ultimate transparency, we are proud to share this picture in which you can see we are talking about the light superficial cleaning showing the beautiful original silvering revealed from the heavily oxidised zapon and where the markers were removed.

The engraved enamel dial is superb, preserved in outstanding condition. The silver satin opaline finish is lovely and plays with the light in an exciting way, in some lights expressing a clean silver and in others a beautiful creamy tone, you will note a similar effect in the pictures of the 2015 example between the regular and macro shots in the Hodinkee Article.⁴ Like that 2015 example, now in the Patek Philippe museum, the original enamel is all very well preserved. The lapped white gold hour markers feature trough groves rather than being hollow, allowing the original radium lume to be preserved.

The case has been extremely carefully and lightly polished, we are talking about approximately only a third of a gram loss. This is documented for the new owner. The facets, bevels and lines are strong, sharp and well defined, with thick proportions, and the correct fine circular brushing has been returned to the case-back.

The movement has been meticulously serviced to a very high standard and is in excellent condition both mechanically and aesthetically.

The watch previously belonged to an English gentleman, who owned it for a number of decades. His widow wasn't sure when he bought it but believed he may have bought it whilst working abroad in Australia and New Zealand in the 1980's-1990's. We don't believe this to be an indication of where the reference was originally retailed as Australia's longest standing Patek Philippe Authorised retailer is J Farron Price, started it's relationship with the brand in 1977. Based upon each of the 3 known examples of the reference featuring a 'Swiss' inscription, we can say they were made for en export market and given the lack of 'HOX' mark, we can exclude the USA. Perhaps the UK could actually be the likely original market in which this incredibly rare reference was sold. 

Conclusion

The Patek Philippe ref. 2585A resists simple categorisation. It unites the manufacture’s most refined automatic movement with a material it rarely employed, to create a dedicated and outstandingly rare reference in steel.

If the ref. 2526 represents Patek Philippe’s public embrace of automatic self-winding haute horology, the ref. 2585A stands as its quiet, supremely rarer counterpoint, a steel-clad outlier of exceptional refinement, which for decades collectors didn't even know existed and whose significance would only be fully appreciated many years later.

The exceptional, unique example we have the pleasure to offer, preserved in excellent conditions, represents the only original engraved enamel dial ref.2585A available to purchase outside of the Patek Philippe museum and is preserved in equally impressive condition. It is an opportunity to own one of the rarest steel Patek Philippe ever made and one of the rarest automatic self-winding vintage watches of all time, befitting of any top collection.

For more information, please enquire via the listing here.

Footnotes

A special thanks to Tortella & Son’s for the information regarding 1518 quantities published in auction catalogues and more widely for the years of study and scholarship we have enjoyed.

1. Phillips Watches, The Geneva Watch Auction: Seven, 2015, Lot 121.
2. Phillips Watches, The Geneva Watch Auction: Eight, 2017, Lot 188.
3. Collectability, “Patek Philippe Reference 2526”, https://collectability.com/learn/ref-2526/
4. “The Rarest Self-Winding Vintage Patek Philippe in the World”, Hodinkee, https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-rarest-self-winding-vintage-patek-philippe-in-the-world-for-sale

Thanks to a colleague and friend, Mike Nouveau, for an interesting chat which inspired a few additions to this article.

Bibliography

• Goldberger, John. Patek Philippe Steel Watches. Milan: 2012.
• Huber, Martin & Banbery, Alan. Patek Philippe Wristwatches. Geneva: 1998.
• Phillips Watches. The Geneva Watch Auction catalogues, 2015 & 2017.
• .“The Rarest Self-Winding Vintage Patek Philippe in the World.” Hodinkee.