Jack Welch Patek Philippe Calatrava Yellow Gold Reference 5120J

...Patek Philippe Coolness...

Jack Welch

Patek Philippe Calatrava

Yellow Gold Reference 5120J

Jack Welch is considered to be one of the most successful business leaders in the world. He began his career as a chemical engineer and went on to become the Chairman and CEO of General Electric from 1981 to 2001.

Jack Welch is seen in all the photos in this article sporting his trademark Patek Philippe Calatrava [Reference 5120J] in yellow gold. The Patek Philippe Calatrava [Reference 5120J] is considered to be the ultimate gentleman's watch.

There are basically three levels of Patek Philippe dress watches. The first classification would be the Patek Philippe Calatrava models which are renowned for their absolute simplicity and minimalism. The second class of Patek Philippe dress watches are complicated watches, and the third and most typically expensive class of Patek Philippe dress watch are know as Grand Complications. Jack Welch's Patek is a very simple, understated Calatrava.

In this next photo below, we get a close up wrist shot of the photo above and we get positive confirmation that indeed, Jack Welch is wearing a Patek Philippe Calatrava [Reference 5120J] in yellow gold with the hobnail bezel.

The next photo shows the same model of Patek Philippe Calatrava [Reference 5120J] in yellow gold, that Jack Welch wears. Patek Philippe has been making this watch for many decades, and if you look closely you notice the bezel has two rows of small pyramids that run concentrically around the bezel. This type of bezel is commonly referred to in Patek Philippe parlance as a hobnail bezel.
In an ironic twist of fate, Charlie Sheen will probably best be remembered for his slogan of "Winning!" The supreme irony is that in 2004, after Jack Welch retired as the Chairman and CEO of General Electric, he co-authored a very successful book which was titled "Winning." Something about guys who wear Patek Philippe watches and "Winning" ;-)

Patek Philippe Reference 96 Calatrava: 31mm...

Patek Philippe & Co

Reference 96 Calatrava: 31mm

The Patek Philippe Reference 96 Calatrava from 1942 is pictured below in Pink Gold. The modern, Art-Deco Reference 96 is characterized by its clean lines. I have always liked the very simple Patek Philippe Calatrava watches, but I tend to gravitate more toward the Patek Philippe Grand Complications. That being said, there is no question, that the Calatrava models are minimalist masterpieces.

This next image shows a 1937 Patek Philippe Reference 96 Calatrava along with its Official Patek Philippe Archive Extract. Patek Philippe is unlike any other brand in the world, in the sense that it has a supreme appreciation for its history and heritage.

Patek Philippe is so serious about authenticity, they offer a service where you can send them any Patek Philippe watch, and for a fee, they will go though their meticulous archives and pull up the extract on your watch. After they have done so, they will issue an "Extract from the Archives" document as seen below, which documents all the details of your Patek Phillipe. This is just one of the details that differentiates Patek Philippe from everybody else.

Historical Note: In the image above (1937) the dial designation reads "Patek, Philippe & Co" and the newer one (1944) a the top of this post reads "Patek Philippe & Co" so the difference, is the later manufactured version removes the comma after Patek. Today the dials simple read "Patek Philippe."

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!!!

Christie's Auction Catalog Cover 1944 Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar 35mm Reference 1591

Christie's Auction Catalog Cover

1944 Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar

35mm Reference 1591

This is a beautiful and unique Patek Philippe Reference 1591 pictured on the cover of the Christie's Geneva Important Pocket Watches and Wrist Watches from November 12, 2007. This one-of-a-kind stainless steel 1944 Patek Philippe Reference 1591 sold for $2,240,714.

John Goldberger sent in the next images of the Patek Philippe Reference 1591 which is showcased in his amazing book named Stainless Steel Patek Philippe's. This unique watch is now on permanent display in Geneva in the Patek Philippe Museum.

Ironically, even though the image above is from the Christie's 2007 Auction Catalog, the photo below is of the exact same watch from a 2002 Antiquorum Auction House catalog.

Charlie Sheen's Patek Philippe Annual Calendar: Reference 2438

Trick Or Treat!?!

Charlie Sheen's Patek Philippe

Annual Calendar: Reference 2438

11/1/11

In the photo below, you are looking at Charlie Sheen's Patek Philippe Triple Date Annual Calendar [Reference 2438] in yellow gold. My pal Simon dropped by this evening for a Patek Philippe/Rolex GTG and he showed up wearing with his stunning Patek Philippe that recently belonged to Charlie Sheen. As a matter of fact, this is Charlie's watch that he claimed kept Warlock Time ;-)

Charlie Sheen is pictured below wearing the exact watch in the photo above. Just to be clear, this is not only the same model, but the ACTUAL Patek Philippe Charlie Sheen Owned. So why doesn't Charlie Sheen own this watch any more? Because he recently upgraded to an over-the-top Patek Philippe Reference 2499 in Pink Gold with Breguet numerals that he paid close to $2.5 Million for!?!

Several months ago, Charlie Sheen posted the photo below on his Twitter account showing-off his wristwatch and ring. Charlie Sheen placed a caption under the photo that read:

The only watch that keeps Warlock time - Class of 1927 ring "Bambino U"

So what does Charlie's cryptic message really mean? Well, his 1927 world championship ring belonged to and was won and worn by Babe Ruth!!!! That is pretty impressive in-and-of-itself, but for a fellow WIS, it is not as impressive as his Patek Philippe wristwatch!!!!

Charlie is wearing what is probably the most elegant, timeless watch ever made. He is sporting an EXTREMELY RARE Yellow gold Patek Philippe 2438J, Complicated Moonphase that was made in the late 1959.

Of course, I couldn't stop taking photos of this amazing Patek Philippe model. After all Patek Philippe only ever made 179 of this stunningly elegant reference. In the photo below, I am wearing Charlie Sheen's Patek Philippe Reference on my wrist, which I am holding up in-front of my original blog post on Jake's Patek Philippe World about Charlie Sheen's Patek Philippe, which is pictured above.

One of the coolest things about being a watch historian for Patek Philippe and Rolex, is from time to time, I get to wear some watches that belong to really famous people, so as you can imaging I was in awe of sporting this famous Warlock Watch. In the past I have also worn Steve McQueen's personal Rolex Submariner [Reference 5512] which was really cool!!!

Just for the record, over the years I had been publishing Jake's Rolex World, I kept thinking in the back of my mind, I should create Jake's Patek Philippe World. The reason being that I have always liked Patek Philippe as much as Rolex–despite the fact they are both so different.

In many ways Patek Phillipe and Rolex represent the opposite sides of the same coin. What Patek Philippe is to dress watches, Rolex is to sport watches. One could also argue that if Patek Philppe is the Rolls Royce of watches, then Rolex is the Mercedes Benz.

Back in March or 2011, when Charlie Sheen went through the whole "Winning" fiasco, when he left 2 and a half men, I noticed he was wearing the Patek Philippe Reference 2438 that is pictured on his wrist in the photos at the beginning of this story. I have to tell you I was shocked to see this crazy-cool stunningly amazing Patek Philippe on Charlie Sheen's wrist!?! Why was I so shocked? Because I have NEVER seen a Reference 2438 on anybody's wrist in my life!!!

Of course I recognized the Charlie Sheen's watch right away, and as I just mentioned I was shocked to see a Patek Philippe on anybody's wrist because nobody actually wears these watches because they are so expensive. We are talking about a watch, that is the size of a quarter, that costs a half-million dollars. I was not impressed with how much Charlie Sheen's watch was worth, I was stunned with how beautiful the watch was and is. In my opinion, the Patek Philippe Reference 2438 is one of the best looking dress watches ever made.

Elegance Knows No Pain

I love how simple the user interface is on the Patek Philippe Reference 2438. It tells you everything you need to know at a glance, and nothing more. It it hyper-simple, yet hyper elegant. I was so excited to see the watch on Charlie Sheen, that I wrote an article about it on Jake's Rolex World. Then, for some reason, I realized I just had to finally create Jake's Patek Philippe World!!!

So my very first post on Jake's Patek Philippe World was about Charlie Sheen's Patek Philippe Reference 2438. Of course I had been thinking about starting Jake's Patek Philippe World for a long time. In a conversation with my pal Milos, several months before I started Jake's Patek Philippe World, I mentioned I was thinking about doing so, and ironically it was seeing Charlie Sheen's Patek Philippe that pushed me over the edge.

Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Yellow Gold: Reference 1518

Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph

Yellow Gold: Reference 1518

This beautiful Reference 1518 was the first production Perpetual Calendar Chronograph made by Patek Philippe. This beauty incorporates the calibre 13Q''' Chronographe. Patek Philippe began producing the Reference 1518 in 1941 (during World War II) and the last one was produced in 1954.

Patek Philippe only made 281 of the Reference 1518 model, most of which came in yellow and pink gold. There are 47 pink gold examples known to exist today. The example below appears courtesy of Antiquorum. Patek Philippe also made an extremely rare stainless steel version, of which there are 4 known examples in existence today.

Patek Philippe ultimately replaced the Reference 1518 with the Reference 2499 and the Reference 2499/100. The Reference 2499 began production in 1951 and the last example was produced in 1985.

Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph

Stainless Steel: Reference 1518

Alfredo Parmamico is one of the top vintage Patek Philippe collectors (from Italy) and he sent in the photo below of his extremely rare stainless steel Patek Philippe Reference 1518, which is 1 of only 4 known examples. If I recall correctly, Patek Philippe made the stainless steel versions during the World War II years because there was a gold shortage in Switzerland.

It appears in the photo, because of the lighting angle, the moon phase disc might be black, but it's the standard beautiful cobalt-blue color. I know the moon phase disc is cobalt-blue because I have seen other photos of this actual watch.

Special Platinum Mecca World Edition Timer

Patek Philippe World Time

Special Platinum Mecca World Edition Timer

Emerald Green Mecca Dial

Reference 5130P: Automatic Caliber 240HU

This is a beautiful special edition Patek Philippe know as the "Mecca" World Timer. Patek Philippe only made 150 of these platinum beauties and they are already sold-out.

Paul McCartney: Patek Philippe Aquanaut

...Patek Philippe Super Coolness...

Paul McCartney

Patek Philippe Aquanaut

Stainless Steel: Reference 5167A

I realize if you follow Jake's Patek Philippe World this will blow your mind, particularly after just seeing former Beatle, John Lennon wearing his Patek Philippe Triple Date Chronograph, but you are not hallucinating, here is another former Beatle, this time Paul McCartney, in a recent photo wearing a Patek Philippe Aquanaut on a rubber Patek Philippe strap with a deployant clasp!!!!

I know, I know, what are the odds of lightning striking twice in the exact same place? Well you saw it happen here ;-) Maybe I should change the name of Jake's Patek Phillipe World to Jake's Beatles Patek Phillipe World!!! Here is a photo of the same model of Patek Philippe Aquanaut [Reference 5167] that Paul McCartney is wearing in the photos.

In the photo below you see Paul McCartney's Patek Philippe deployant clasp with the seal of Calatrava logo etched into it.

"Somebody said to me, 'But the Beatles were anti-materialistic.' That's a huge myth. John and I literally used to sit down and say, 'Now, let's write a swimming pool.'" –Paul McCartney

If you look closely at the deployant buckle, in the photo above and below, you notice the Patek Philippe Seal Of Calatrava.

Paul McCartney just got married a few days ago, and he looks great at age 69!!! Paul McCartney wore his Patek Philippe at his wedding as seen in these photos.

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.

Clark Gable: Patek Philippe Reference 1526

Academy Award Winner For Best Actor

...Patek Philippe Super-Coolness...

Clark Gable

Triple Date Moonphase

Reference 1526

In the two photos below we see Movie superstar, Clark Gable sporting his Patek Philippe Reference 1526 Moonphase. As far as I know, these photos are the first photographic evidence to be shared publicly that confirms Clark Gable wore a complicated Patek Philippe.

I wish I could find and publish more images like these, but often times, trying to find photos like these is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Clark Gable is probably best known for his role as Rhett Butler in the 1939 Civil War Epic Saga film Gone With the Wind. The American Film Institute, in 1999 named Clark Gable seventh among the greatest male stars of all time.

I included a photo of a similar model below that shows what Clark Gable's Patek Philippe model looks like.

Patek Philippe Moonphase

Annual Calendar

Reference 1526

This 34mm beauty has a movement made in 1942 and the case was completed in 1948. It sold for $2,773,721 at Chistie's Auction House on November 16, 2009.

Clark Gable Timeless Style Icon

Clark Gable was renowned for being very stylish and and equally masculine, so it makes perfect sense he would wear this beautiful, complicated Patek Philippe watch.

Clark Gable is pictured below in his ruby-red 1955 Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing, and the second photo shows his timeless Mercedes today.