I find this very interesting. A wrist watch, only 7 were made, some $2.6m per watch..
QuotePublished on Oct 15, 2014
To pay tribute to its 175th anniversary, Patek Philippe created a collection of limited-edition commemorative timepieces, and one of them stands out in particular. It is the so far most complicated wristwatch of the eminent family-owned watchmaking company and decidedly one of the world's most elaborate wristwatches. This is due not only to the number of complications involved but also to the horological degrees of complexity, two of which have been added to the annals of watchmaking for the first time. Moreover, the Grandmaster Chime is the first double-face wristwatch presented by Patek Philippe that can be worn with either dial facing up: the one that focuses on the time and the sonnerie, the other dedicated to the full instantaneous perpetual calendar. Changing the face is very simple thanks to the ingenious reversing mechanism in the lugs. It is amazingly easy to operate and firmly secures the case in the selected position. Incidentally, the information for which a watch is most frequently consulted – the current time and the date – is displayed on both dials. The ultimate in user-friendliness and safety is assured with intelligent mechanisms that prevent potentially damaging manipulations and thus reliably protect the highly complex movement with its intricate cosmos of tiny parts.
Patek Philippe's Grandmaster Chime is a wrist-format timekeeping instrument of absolutely unprecedented complexity and ingenuity that establishes new benchmarks in terms of technical and aesthetic elegance. Its double-face case with a diameter of 47 mm, it accommodates four spring barrels and no fewer than 20 complications, including coveted functions such as a Grande and Petite Sonnerie, a minute repeater, an instantaneous perpetual calendar with a four-digit year display, a second time zone, and two patented global debuts in the domain of chiming watches: an acoustic alarm that strikes the alarm time and a date repeater that sounds the date on demand.
Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime Ref. 5175 - The sound of history (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIXPplShtg0#ws)
That's fascinating, Art :-X I'm always interested to see how things are made, especially something so complex and with so many tiny parts.
What an incredible mechanism ??? I guess it should be, with a $2.6m price tag.
I liked the music that was playing during that clip too 8)
same here :) Yep, fascinating.
At that price, we should purchase all 7 8-X
:laugh:
I'd settle for being able to afford one of the cogs :-()
I'd prefer the money, buy a cheap time-piece for some 3-4k and keep the change. :)
Hey, here's another film I found, not Patek Philippe but Fortis (Swiss watch manufacturer) how it was done some 60+ years ago. Nice :-D
FORTIS Anniversary: 40 Years FORTIS Advertisement (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DAY3_YLPms#)
I watched the first movie, impressive :o
Will check the next vid tomorrow. I love that sort of technology. The watch is a little to big for my taste, but man, what a piece of w@&k :-X :)
Patek Philippe pocket watch sold today for 33 million euros :o
I think it has about the same functions as the watch of the first video. Sold today in honour of the 175 year anniversary of Patek Philippe
http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2014/important-watches-ge1404/lot.345.html (http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2014/important-watches-ge1404/lot.345.html)
??? I think some people have way too much money.
:o
Imagine; it was originally ordered by Henri Graves for only $12000 back in 1933. Quite an investment ;)
Quote from: Binnatics on November 11, 2014, 02:21:02 PM
Patek Philippe pocket watch sold today for 33 million euros :o
I had to read that twice to be sure I'd read it right :o