Photo Report: A Visit To The Ultimate Vintage Patek Philippe Vault

Documenting the many chapters of Patek Philippe at Collectability

Setting the time on a Beta 21 using a G-Shock.

Patek Philippe established its Electronic Timekeeping Division in 1948. Over the next few decades, it perfected electronic technology, creating some of the most cutting-edge and precise master clocks for the Vatican, NASA, the UN, and airports and railways around the world. Rolex even used Patek Philippe’s timing systems in its manufacturing facilities.

Today, the largest collection of electronic Patek Philippe clocks sits in a nondescript office building outside New York City. It’s the headquarters of Collectability, the dealer founded by John Reardon and co-founder Tania Edwards dedicated to all things Patek Philippe.¹

From the 1950s-80s, Patek Philippe made some of the best electronic master clocks in the world for clients including NASA, the UN, and even Rolex.

I’m writing a series of collector’s guides for Collectability (3970 was first), so visited them during a recent trip to NYC.

Collectability is one of the few places where you can grasp the full breadth of Patek Philippe.² It’s not just wristwatches. It’s an entire world of timekeeping spanning nearly 200 years.

There’s a clock, book, or other Patek paraphernalia everywhere you look.

A Patek Philippe clock for Tiffany & Co., a partnership dating to 1851.

These artifacts are a reminder that until a couple of generations ago, knowing the time—and I mean the exact time—was hardly a given. The companies that could tell the time ruled the world. Until recently, these weren’t just mechanical watch companies. These were technology companies, tasked with keeping the world on time.

In one corner: A rare, original Nautilus cork box. In another: A Rolex wall clock (c. 1968) that hung in its workshops, made by Patek Philippe. Patek Philippe also made small clocks that were used on the workbenches of Rolex watchmakers. It's one of the few timepieces in the world signed by Rolex and Patek Philippe.

Somewhere along the way, that changed. The transistor was invented in 1947, and everything started getting smaller.

A new breed of technology company was born, and before long, they started making mini wrist computers that happened to tell time. Casio and Texas Instruments gave way to Apple and Google.

Tania’s golden Patek Philippe cuff-like watch.

In the meantime, Patek Philippe and its watchmaking brethren started looking backwards instead of forwards. They became purveyors of a certain old-world luxury, trading on heritage, craft, and nostalgia.

It’s beautiful and maddening, as we demand they simultaneously innovate and respect their own history.

Those big electronic clocks sit as a final marker of an era when watch and clockmakers ran the world, or at least kept it running on time.

A photo of Reardon talking to legendary Patek President Philippe Stern.

Flick of the wrist

While the electronic clocks are a curious chapter of Patek Philippe’s history, the mid-20th century was mostly the golden age of wristwatches.

Eventually, we got to the wrist and pocket watches.

I spent most of my time looking at vintage watches, but there were also plenty of modern Pateks. Some make it to Collectability’s website, but many don’t. Visiting a dealer is a reminder that their public-facing presence is only the tip of the iceberg.

Here are a few favorites.

A pair of rare Calatravas with unusual lugs–refs. 1589R and 1596J. The ref. 1589 has an oversized (36mm) case and unusual welded lugs. Less than 10 examples are known in rose gold.

• This pair of Calatravas has a lot in common: large gold case, unusual lugs, silver dial with Roman numerals, and rare. Less than 10 examples of the 1589 are known in rose gold, and only four 1596s are known. These uncommon references were probably overshadowed by better-known Calatravas—refs. 565, 570, 2508—but illustrate the breadth of ideas from Patek Philippe at the time.

There’s also modern! A trio of Tiffany & Co.-signed Calatravas: refs. 5127, 5196, and 5117.

Patek Philippe 'golfer's watch' ref. 783 designed by Gilbert Albert. It features an intricate wreath-like chain and matching bezel, designed for golfers to use while playing a round in the mid-20th century. Golfer's watches were common in the '50s, made by Eterna, Seiko, and others—but none quite like Patek.

A tiny heart-shaped locket made of garnet with a secret inside.

• During the last few years when everyone seemed to want a modern Nautilus, Thierry Stern said he “[didn’t] want steel taking over the lead in the whole collection.” The sheer variety of vintage watches on display at Collectability reminded me what an anomaly these years have been. In this Photo Report, there’s exactly one stainless steel watch (the ref. 130 chronograph, below) and no Nautilus. Patek Philippe has had many collections and chapters, some more enduring than others.

A classic Ellipse ref. 3738 in yellow gold. The dial is signed “sigma” at 6 o’clock, indicating it’s made of gold. In the ‘60s, Patek and dialmaker Singer developed a first-of-its-kind technique to produce the rich cobalt blue dial.

• Shaped watches are an important chapter in Patek Philippe’s history. One of Collectability’s favorites is the Ellipse. John and Tania’s love for it is infectious, and this ref. 3738 is the watch I most wanted to take home. Patek Philippe launched the Ellipse (refs. 3546 and 3548) in 1968; it was popular and quickly grew to other wristwatches, but also rings, lighters, and other accessories.

L: ref. 3586 “Golden Circle”; R: ref. 3770 “Nautilellipse.”

• The ref. 3586 “Golden Circle,” feels like the cousin of the Ellipse. Produced from 1970-80, it uses Patek’s caliber 350, an unusual back-winding movement.

• Patek launched the “Nautellipse” ref. 3770 in 1980. It’s a time when the hot watch was the Ellipse. Meanwhile, the Nautilus was selling, but not super well–it was too big and expensive. Patek wanted a sporty, waterproof Ellipse, and the Nautellipse was born. Patek even used the same casemaker (Favre & Perret) for the ref. 3770 as it did for the Nautilus.

The Nautellipse is a quirky bit of history, but I prefer the classic Ellipse.

Collectability's part-time watchmaker taking a look at a couple of quartz Beta 21s, Patek's first foray into quartz movements in 1969.

• “For a quartz watch, it’s still quite mechanical,” Collectability’s watchmaker said when taking apart these Beta 21s. After watching him take apart a few different watches, the process felt completely analytical and objective, whether the watch is quartz or mechanical, $10k or $100k.

The ref. 2597HS was marketed as the “Cross Country” to the U.S. in ads like the one below here.

• As much as any complication, I associate Patek Philippe with the travel time.³ It began with this ref. 2597 HS (for Heures Sautantes, or Jumping Hours), the first series seen here was only produced from 1958 to 1961. The buttons on the side simply jump the hour back or forward. The second series came soon after and added an additional hour hand for tracking another time zone. At the time, Patek Philippe offered a kit to upgrade the first series watches, which means few 2597s exist today without the additional hand.

Look at that two-tone dial!

• Patek made only about 280 steel 130 chronographs in the 1930s and ‘40s. At 33mm, it was the perfect sports watch then and now.

The unusual ref. 4631 from the short-lived ‘Les Grecques’ collection from the 1980s–it’s a small watch, only about 21mm wide. From the dial motif to a case that looks like columns, it screams Greek.

• Probably my favorite Calatrava, and even better in rose gold. Introduced in 1950, the Patek Philippe 2508 features a larger (35mm), waterproof case from Taubert/Borgel. They're best with this dial design, featuring geometric markers that would make Euclid proud.

More rose: ref. 5140 Perpetual Calendar and ref. 3796 Calatrava.

Patek 3796R, the sequel to the ref. 96.

Patek Philippe 3970R (second series) and 3970/002 with an integrated bracelet.

• I don’t have much more to say about the 3970 perpetual calendar chronograph. It was a treat to see a second series 3970R and a 3970/002J together. The bracelets aren’t exactly my style, but Patek can make a damn good one.

Caliber CH 27-70 Q

For more, visit Collectability.

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The Roundup

🌝 A special Patek Philippe 96 calendar coming soon. Sotheby’s Sam Hines posted a unique complete calendar ref. 96 with Breguet numerals that will be at Sotheby’s April Hong Kong auction. There are only 8 known complete calendar moonphase ref. 96s (“The Last Emperor’s” sold for 5m+ in 2023). When Phillips sold the Last Emperor’s 96, I documented all of them—this one last sold at Christie’s in 2011 for CHF 500k. For me, this 96 will be one of the highlights of the spring auctions.

🏪 Watchfinder to open its first boutique in the U.S. Watchfinder, the online-first preowned dealer Richemont acquired for a reported £250m in 2018, continues to expand its physical footprint. It has a job listing for a boutique manager role in Soho, New York. I think it’d be Watchfinder’s first real boutique in the States–it currently has one location listed on its website, which is really just Richemont’s U.S. office.

🚗 Why don’t more watch brands do this? BMW put its entire historical catalog online for anyone to browse with full historical info, images, production numbers, even spare parts. I’ve mentioned Audemars Piguet’s excellent efforts to document its history with AP Chronicles over the last few years, but it seems like more brands should be doing this.

With any luck, I’ll publish two more newsletters by Monday: A Watches & Wonders preview and an interview with Parmigiani Fleurier CEO Guido Terreni. Stay tuned!

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In Case You Missed It:

The Countdown Begins: Inside the Mind of a Rolex Collector

A Weird Way To Value Collectible Watches, and Collecting the Patek Philippe 3970

1. It’s worth reading Collectability’s full history on Patek Philippe’s electronic clocks.

2. Along with the Patek Philippe Museum.

3. Okay, after the perpetual calendar chrono.