Rare 2000 Patek Philippe, 37mm “Sculpture” Ref.5091 white dial auto/date in Steel. One of 300

Description

Pre-owned. Comes with orig. Patek lacquered wooden box set & pouch holding some documents and archive cert.

This is one of the most interesting watch by Patek Philippe from the end of last century. The Patek Philippe Sculpture was launched in 1999 to celebrate the return of the brand to the Russian market but that was also a year of political crisis in Russia with the dismissal of two Prime ministers, change of cabinet and a general election which saw president Boris Yeltsin who suddenly resigned on 31st Dec, 6 months ahead of the presidential election. There were also several high profile bombings in Russia that year due to the Chechen war so the country was in turmoil and Vladimir Putin was installed as the acting head of state where his political career as a statesman began.

That was certainly not a good time to launch a luxury Swiss watch brand. Hence, this collection was silently sold through retailers and never marketed as intended. Story has it that the then owner of Cortina Watch from Singapore approached the factory and bought over the remaining stocks for sale through his network in Asean countries.

It is thought that only 2700 pieces in total from the Sculpture collection were produced with just 300 pieces each from 9 designs that included ladies models, some in precious metal and precious stones. This was the only full steel model with a white or black dial. So, this is an undisputed collector’s piece that’s grossly undervalued and shares similar architecture with the Aquanaut and Nautilus while this is one of the most flamboyant design ever from Patek Philippe.

The blue enamelled crown which is the highlight of this collection was inspired by the crown of the Imperial Russian Romanov dynasty.

This is a 1 owner’s watch that’s fresh to the market and just been polished to perfection. It is very comfortable on the wrist with it’s wrist hugging bracelet. The archive certificate has been applied for and will be given when delivered from factory. It fits a 17.5cm wrist now and extra links are available from Patek @ S$260+ each.

Highly recommended for those looking for a rare Patek Philippe that can be worn daily and sensibly priced. The Aquanaut 5167A on rubber strap is going above S$70K while the Nautilus 5711/1A is above S$120K. With just 300pcs made, this Sculpture is far rarer than either of those mass produced models.