18K Yellow Gold Golden Ellipse Patek Phillipe Swiss Made Wristwatch

This 18k yellow gold Patek Phillipe Golden Ellipse Swiss-made wristwatch has a 22 mm x 19 mm cushion shaped case diameter with a rich cobalt blue colour dial, and raised gold coloured baton stick markers indicating hours with gold coloured minute and hour hands. The watch is powered by a Swiss made mechanical movement. The scratch resistant sapphire crystal provides durability and clarity. It is attached to an 18K yellow gold integrated panthere style bracelet with fold-over clasp. Also included is the original box.    

The Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse was introduced in 1968 and remains in the collection today as one of the most iconic watch designs. The watch was a bold departure from traditional watch shapes, not quite round or rectangular instead falling somewhere in between with elegantly curved corners and long, beautiful lines. The result is an absolutely timeless luxury watch that exudes elegant simplicity. The watch derives its name from the Golden Section, which is an aesthetic rule known for many centuries. It defines harmony in proportions. Born into the turbulent late 1960s, it was an instant icon in a changing world. Led by the then president, Henri Stern, the company needed a new watch design that was both immediately recognizable as a Patek and unisex in its appeal. The company also needed a watch that represented true luxury, something that would at a glance be distinguishable from any other watch. It was immediately embraced as forward looking and classic at the same time, while in a league of luxury not seen in the watch industry. The Ellipse was a highly significant watch for Patek as it marked an important shift in manufacturing practice. Like most other watchmakers since the eighteenth century, Patek had relied on casemakers to propose designs from which it made a selection. The birth of the Ellipse was the complete opposite: Patek developed the design internally, then briefed the case maker Ateliers Réunis to produce it. This landmark shift in the balance of the relationship between Patek Philippe and its suppliers was a taste of things to come. Patek would later purchase Ateliers Réunis (its original manufacturing building is now home to the Patek Philippe Museum) and most of its other suppliers bringing as much production as possible in-house. The dazzling, cobalt blue dial was another revolutionary step for the company: it was something no one had ever seen before.

During the 1970s the Ellipse became the symbol of international chic. It was the timepiece the jet set had been waiting for and became a must have on the wrist of the best dressed men and women of the time. The model featured in most of the company’s advertising from the late 1960s through the early 1980s. The messaging of the Ellipse was as simple as the form itself. First, the watch was born of a classic design that was as ancient as the concept of beauty itself: the Golden Section. Second, the watch represented the ultimate canvas of design when exploring the craftsmanship of Patek Philippe. And last but not least, the Ellipse represented the ultimate icon of success and welcomed the wearer into an exclusive club, the club of owning a Patek Philippe. So confident was the marketing of the stand-alone power of the Ellipse watch, that in a series of ads it was referred to it as “The Non-Watch”.

• 18K yellow gold
• Gram weight is 48.6
• Measures 7" in length
• Dial measures approximately 22 mm x 19 mm in diameter
• Independently appraised value for insurance purposes: $23,000.00 (note: may not reflect selling price) 

All items in the Estate Originals Collection are estate pieces created in years gone by. Although this item is in excellent condition, it could have some signs of its age and past enjoyment. The images shown are of the exact item you will receive.