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18ct yellow gold, reference 2501 'Disco Volante' wristwatch. Made 1954

18ct yellow gold, reference 2501 'Disco Volante' wristwatch. Made 1954

Regular price £11,000.00 GBP
Regular price Sale price £11,000.00 GBP
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Information

  • Brand: Patek Philippe
  • Year: 1954
  • Model: 'Disco Volante' (Flying Saucer)
  • Reference: 2501
  • Calibre: 10"'200
  • Movement: Manual
  • Material: 18ct yellow gold
  • Features/complications: Stepped dial and bezel
  • Dial: Champagne dial featuring black printed baton hour markers with Roman numeral quarters and 18ct yellow gold baton hands
  • Case dimensions: 33mm
  • Bracelet/strap: Leather strap
  • Accessories: Extract from the Archives
  • SKU: 1907

Essay

Produced by Patek Philippe from 1951 until 1960 the reference 2501, "Disco Volante" translates to "flying saucer," and this watch is a combination of Art Deco design and space age modernism. In 1932, Patek Philipp released their model reference 96 timepiece: The epitome of understated elegance. The Patek Philippe Calatrava is considered by many to be the blueprint for the traditional dress watch. The watch is inspired by the Bauhaus principle of form and follows function. The minimalist design, created by David Penney, distilled timekeeping down to the purest essence. The emphasis was on no superfluous details, no unnecessary flourishes and yet the concept has remained virtually unchanged throughout the years, for almost 90 years running now. It is by no coincidence that for these reasons, vintage Calatrava’s have become highly sought-after timepieces. Today, the design has become so familiar that it is difficult to fully appreciate the underlying elements that make the original design so ageless.