Patek Philippe watches with diamond dials are one of a kind in the world 5
(Dan Tri) – Very few people can buy a custom-made watch from the Patek Philippe brand.
`To be able to make such a request, you must be in the top 1% of customers. But perhaps you also have to know Philippe and Thierry Stern – the father and son pair who own and run the brand`, Nitin Nair –
In 1990, one such customer presented a challenge to the Swiss watch company.
When entering the company’s salon in Geneva, Switzerland – the first store since 1853, this person presented an extremely large, rare antique diamond.
Because before that, the dials on Patek Philippe watches were made of sapphire crystals, without using diamonds.
The company happily accepted.
The Patek Philippe 3843/1 watch appeared on the auction floor after 7 years of being sold publicly, since 2016 (Photo: Christie’s).
Nearly 30 years into its existence, this creation is now available at auction in October in Christie’s upcoming Watch Online: The Dubai Edit show.
`This is an incredible Patek Philippe. Being on the auction block is truly a rare opportunity for collectors to own an extremely special watch,` Remy Julia – watch director in Dubai at Christie’s
The one-of-a-kind watch in question carries the reference 3843, features a manual-winding caliber 177 movement, and a bespoke 18-carat white gold bracelet.
What makes this watch truly special is that it was developed around a 13.43 carat cut diamond.
At first glance, the gem looks nothing special.
The mechanism inside the Patek Philippe 3843/1 watch (Photo: Christie’s).
Diamonds with these unique characteristics – vertically cut, colorless and exceptionally transparent – are called `lasque` diamonds.
The author of the book The Modern Guide to Antique Jewelry – Beth Bernstein – said, `lasque` is one of the oldest forms of diamond cutting, originating from ancient India.
Between the 17th and 19th centuries, it was often used as a coating for miniature paintings, hence the other name `portrait diamond`.
Due to being too flat, it is not suitable for re-cutting.
`Reflections from the facets brighten the portrait, the highly polished transparent surface gives it more shine than crystal, while also drawing the eye towards the stone,` says jewelry historian Diana Scarisbrick.
This is what makes `lasque` diamonds an ideal replacement for watch crystals, even though they are very expensive.
The diamond mounted in 3843/1 is the third largest `lasque` in the world, larger than those owned by Queen Marie Louise – wife of King Napoleon (France) – and King George IV (England).
Robb Report magazine revealed the Swiss watchmaker asked the famous Geneva case maker – Atelier Réunis – to design the case around the diamond.
In addition, asymmetry is also shown through the combination of 18-carat white gold indexes and hour markers, placed in asymmetrical positions.
The engraved case back of the Patek Philippe Ref.
The watch also comes with a digital copy of the certificate of origin dated January 18, 1994, signed by Philippe Stern noting this is a `Pièce Unique`.
Nitin Nair said that the identity of the person who turned the `lasque` diamond into a watch remains a mystery.
That watch was completed in 2003, sold for 737,000 USD (about 18 billion VND) in 2014.
Reference 3843/1 appeared at an auction in 2016 at Christie’s in Hong Kong (China), earning 3.48 million HKD (equivalent to 10.8 billion VND).
Nitin Nair added that, since the 2016 sale, this watch model has been the subject of exploration by one of the world’s leading Patek Philippe researchers – Eric Tortella.
`However, finding anything custom-designed is a rare occurrence. For this watch, because it is a Patek Philippe design, and the size and importance of the diamond,
