![18ct yellow gold Patek Philippe, reference 2526 Calatrava automatic wristwatch. Made 1953](http://www.somlo.com/cdn/shop/files/G3056_1_4f156975-4a29-45b0-b89d-478d32ec37f7.jpg?v=1716650766&width=1445)
![18ct yellow gold Patek Philippe, reference 2526 Calatrava automatic wristwatch. Made 1953](http://www.somlo.com/cdn/shop/files/G3056_2_7c8e0f44-e33a-4337-b8a8-fd66a0fd0d28.jpg?v=1716650766&width=1445)
![18ct yellow gold Patek Philippe, reference 2526 Calatrava automatic wristwatch. Made 1953](http://www.somlo.com/cdn/shop/files/G3056_3_185beabf-b975-4444-a504-44c2d9bf99a2.jpg?v=1716650766&width=1445)
![18ct yellow gold Patek Philippe, reference 2526 Calatrava automatic wristwatch. Made 1953](http://www.somlo.com/cdn/shop/files/G3056_4_15e18a40-8082-4737-9524-81525b8ef90d.jpg?v=1716650766&width=1445)
![18ct yellow gold Patek Philippe, reference 2526 Calatrava automatic wristwatch. Made 1953](http://www.somlo.com/cdn/shop/files/G3056_5_17077fc1-530f-4d71-af5c-a261c2c20920.jpg?v=1716650766&width=1445)
Information
- Brand: Patek Philippe
- Made: 1956
- Model: Calatrava
- Reference: 2526
- Calibre: 12-600AT
- Movement: Automatic
- Material: 18ct yellow gold
- Features/complications: Enamel dial
- Dial: Enamel dial with outer minute track featuring 18ct yellow gold applied mirror polished hour indices with 18ct yellow gold Dauphine hands and subsidiary seconds at 6 o'clock
- Case Dimensions: 35.5mm
- Bracelet/Strap: Leather strap
- Accessories: Extract from the Archives
- SKU: 3056
Essay
Launched in 1953, the Patek Philippe reference 2526 was the epitome of mid-20th century design with its oversized 35.5mm diameter Baumgartner-fabricated case. The 2526 is Patek Philippe's first self-winding wristwatch consisting of an in-house 12-ligne movement, roughly 6 mm in diameter. The calibre 12-600AT features Patek's Gyromax balance wheel (first introduced in 1951), which is an adjustable inertia balance. A Gyromax balance's adjustment screws are not, as is usually the case, on the outside of the rim – instead, they are actually recessed into the rim of the wheel. Production continued until 1960 and during the 12-600’s seven year production period, 7100 movements were made and were featured not only in the reference 2526, but also in references as diverse as the 2540 to the 3425.