Patek Philippe Triple Date Chronograph Reference 2499

Patek Philippe

Triple Date Chronograph

1980 Reference 2499: Fourth Series

This magnificent Patek Philippe watch was auctioned by Antiquorum years ago and it is just beautiful. I have always preferred the black dial moon phase watches over the white, since they have more of a "nighttime" vibe. This watch was sold by Antiquorum Auction House in 2006 for around $300,000.

How rare is the Patek Philippe Reference 2499? Patek Philippe only made 370 examples in 35 years, which means only 9 per year!!! Who many exist with a black dial? I only know of 2 and this is one of them.

Eric Clapton's Platinum Patek Philippe

Eric Clapton's Platinum Patek Philippe

37.5MM 1987 Reference 2499/100

Sells for $3.6 Million At Christie's Auction

This is a photo of Eric Clapton's Platinum Patek Philippe Reference 2499 which sold recently at a Christies auction for $3.6 Million. This sets a new world record for the Patek Philippe Reference 2499, which Patek Philippe made for 35 years beginning in 1951. 

The Reference 2499 is rare as Patek Philippe only made 349 of this watch mode, which averages about 10 per year. There are only two know Platinum versions of this reference, and the other one is in the Patek Philippe museum, making this one the only one in the world in private hands!!!

Eric Clapton is a huge watch/fanatic/collector and he is pictured below wearing his Patek Philippe Reference 5970, which is the son of the Reference 2499 that he just auctioned.

Patek Philippe Cartier Dial Designation Reference 2499

Cartier Dial Patek Philippe

Triple Date Chronograph

37.5 mm: Reference 2499

This is a very rare 1966 Patek Philippe Reference 2499 because it has the Cartier designation printed on the center of the moon phase sub dial. This watch was has the Cartier designation on the dial because it was originally retailed by Cartier. This watch was sold by Antiquorum Auction House in 2006 for $680,000. This is the ONLY known example of the Patek Philippe Reference 2499 to be produced with the Cartier designation on the dial.

Antiquorum Auction House Lot Notes:

Ref. 2499-100

Produced in 349 examples from 1951 to 1985, very few with tachometer, the majority in yellow gold, and some examples are in pink or white gold. Calibre 13'''CC:

- First series: From 1951 to circa 1960, square buttons, "Feuille" hands, applied Arabic numerals, fluted lugs.

- Second series: Square buttons, "Dauphine" hands, applied indexes, the 12 in Arabic numerals.

- Third series: From 1960 to 1978, round buttons, "Dauphine" or "Feuille" hands, applied "Bâton" indexes. Calibre 13''' CCR,

- Fourth series: From 1978 to circa 1985, becomes Ref. 2499/100, round buttons, sapphire crystal, "Dauphine hands", applied "Bâton" indexes. Very few examples were made with tachometer or telemeter scale and three pieces only with sapphire crystal back. For this series, models with the tachometer indication are extremely rare.

Patek Philippe Macro Shot Of The Day: Reference 2499 Close Up

Patek Philippe Macro Shot Of The Day

Reference 2499 Close Up

If you are a regular reader of Jake's Patek Philippe World you have probably noticed my favorite Patek Philippe design language typically is found in the Grand Complications and particularly anything with a Moonphase indicator and Dauphine hands. I just love this stunning, timeless Art Deco design language!!!

To be specific, the design language in the Patek Philippe Reference 2499, pictured above is similar to the late Art-Deco design language seen in the photo below of the 1959 Cadillac tail fin.

This style of Art-Deco from the late 1950s is referred to as Populuxe. Populuxe is defined by very-clean, sharp, pointy lines–coupled with precise geometry which results in a Space-Age, futuristic stream-lined modern look which is optimistic and powerful.

The Patek Philippe Reference 2499 and the 1959 Cadillac tail fins are both simple yet complex, and unequivocal. That's the word I am looking for: Unequivocal.

Photo by Jim Zuckerman

I was playing with the image above in Photoshop, and I came up with the tiled image below which I think looks neat ;-) High Art Jack, High Art!!!

John Lennon: Yellow Gold Patek Philippe Moonphase

...Patek Philippe Super Coolness...

John Lennon

Yellow Gold Patek Philippe Chronograph

[Reference 2499]

What a day it is today in the world of the former Beatles!!! Today, Sir Paul McCartney got married in England, and today also marks John Lennon's 71st birthday, so I thought I would publish this fascinating story.

John Lennon is pictured below, exactly 31 years ago–today–on his 40th Birthday, in New York City, and he is wearing his Patek Philippe Triple Date Moonphase. Of course, John Lennon was a very successful solo recording artist, but he is best known for being one of the original Beatles. The Beatles are arguably the greatest recording group in history.

"Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."–John Lennon

John Lennon is pictured above wearing his Patek Philippe wristwatch

There is a lot of fascinating detail behind this photo. The photo was taken by John's wife, Yoko Ono, on his 40th Birthday. Yoko knitted the tie around John's neck and gave it to him for his birthday. Yoko took the photo below, before she took the one above. Notice that in the photo below John is wearing the American Flag pin on his shirt and in the photo above he moved it onto his necktie.

The pin was a birthday gift from Yoko and it was made from rubies, sapphires and diamonds, and it cost $75,000 in 1980. It is likely the U.S. Flag pin came from Tiffany & Company, or Cartier, or Harry Winston in New York. It seems clear to me that in the photo above, John is showing-off his Patek Philippe with his flag pin, and perhaps he also received his Patek Philippe as a gift for his 40th birthday?

This in-and-of-itself is kind of bizarre, since John Lennon had been such a hippie, but it makes sense because in these images, taken less than 2 months before he died, he is starting to look clean-cut, contemporary and preppy. Of course, it was 1980 and men's style was moving quickly away from the funky vibe of the 1970s, and getting more clean-cut, and John Lennon was alway ahead of the style curve.

It also crosses my mind that photos above were taken in 1980. Trendy digital quartz watches had been around for a decade, and the movement toward beautiful mechanical watches really started to get underway in the early 1980s, which once again puts John Lennon ahead of the curve. For some reason, the images of John Lennon above remind me of an late 1970s or early 1980s Nagel Print.

John Lennon's Patek Philippe Moonphase in the photo above is similar to the 1971 Patek Philippe Chronograph pictured below, which is a 37.7mm pink gold Reference 2499. This beautiful Patek Philippe Reference 2499 sold at Christie's Hong Kong on May 30, 2011 for $1,205,330.

Patek Philippe 18kt Gold Perpetual Calendar Chronograph

1954 Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph

Black Moonphase with Black Lacquer Dial and Breguet Numerals

Reference 2499: 37MM

This 18kt yellow gold Reference 2499 has a movement manufactured in 1954 and completed in 1962, and encased in 1963. It sold at Christies Auction house on November 15, 2010 for $590,396.