Description

The present watch is a Patek Philippe reference 2497 in rose gold made in 1954—an exceedingly rare variant of one of the most important mid‑century perpetual calendars. Produced from 1951 to 1963, the 2497 (and its waterproof sister, reference 2438/1) introduced the first—and, for decades, the only—sweep‑seconds perpetual calendar wristwatch available on the market. At its heart beats the caliber 27 SC Q: Patek Philippe’s 12’’’ in‑house 27 SC upgraded under‑dial with the maison’s patented perpetual calendar mechanism developed by the Fils de Victorin Piguet ateliers. Approximately 180 such calibers were completed for references 2497 and 2438/1 combined, yielding around 115 examples of the 2497 and roughly 65 of the 2438/1.

Rarity is central to the allure of the present configuration. Of the approximate 115 reference 2497 watches made, about 90 were in yellow gold, around 20 in pink (rose) gold, and only a handful in white gold and even less in platinum. From current records, approximately 20 in pink (rose) gold were produced, with only 13 seen or identified by the market—of which the present watch is one. By comparison, 90 yellow‑gold pieces were made with 51 observed; white‑gold production is estimated at 4–6 with only 3 seen; and platinum at 2–3 with only 2 known. Early cases were three‑piece, 37.7 mm in diameter, with snap back and bezel. The first 40–50 pieces were made by Vichet (Geneva key 9) with flat backs; later watches adopted a bombé back by Wenger (Geneva key 1). After 1960, a small number of unsold 2497s were re‑cased and upgraded to 2438/1.

Dials for the 2497 were crafted by Stern Frères on gold plates, featuring applied gold hour markers, an engraved‑and‑enameled outer minute track, engraved‑and‑enameled signature, and date numerals encircling a blue champlevé‑enameled gold moon‑phase disc. Variations include lapidated applied indexes—either the larger “A” bullet style (more commonly associated with ref. 2438‑1) or shorter “B” rectangular forms—adding further nuance for connoisseurs. The reference is thoroughly chronicled in the standard texts: Huber & Banbery’s “Patek Philippe Wristwatches” (1998), pp. 284–287, and the Patek Philippe Museum catalogue (2014, vol. 2), pp. 295–296.

A touchstone of Patek Philippe’s golden age, the 2497 in rose gold unites technical firsts with sculptural casework and Stern Frères dial artistry. Its historical significance, elegant 37.7 mm presence, and extreme rarity—one of approximately thirteen known in pink gold—position the present 1954 example among the most coveted perpetual calendar wristwatches of the 20th century.

This particular timepiece watch is a delight to handle, in a very nice overall condition, the solid gold silvered dial is original and very well preserved, one feature to note is the date disks are in Portuguese of course hand engraved-enemelled as they should be.
The back of the dial is marked with a hand engraved recall of the matching movement serial, and has a restoration engraving mark, most probably done by Stern Freres, on be- half of Patek Philippe during overhaul. The mounting rim position is right, as it was at the origin.
All hour markers, pink gold, and the four hands are original and in good condition.

Finally with regards to its whereabouts, some key dates of its “public” appearances after its original sale in summer 1955 (as per the PP Extract from the Archives) the watch was sold at the Sotheby’s 1995 auction in New York and stayed in a private collection until 2002, then it went to another private collection until 2021 date of sale by K2 Luxury to an important European collector.

Patek Philippe – Bio

Patek Philippe & Co. was founded in 1839, located in Geneva and the Vallée de Joux. It designs and manufactures timepieces and movements, including some of the most complicated mechanical watches. It is considered by many experts and aficionados to be one of the most prestigious watch manufacturers.
In 1868, Patek Philippe made their first wristwatch, which was sold on November 13, 1876 to the Hungarian Countess.
It is the last independent, family-owned Genevan watch manufacture with uninterrupted operating history spanning nearly 180 years.