
Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
Patek Philippe Yellow Gold Pocket Watch, 1920s
- Maker / attribution
- Patek Philippe (maker)
- Date
- 1920s
- Historical period
- Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Materials / technique
- gold
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 3148
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 3148)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Patek Philippe Yellow Gold Pocket Watch (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by WatchMuseum.org shop (stock number Product 3148), this is a pocket watch by Patek Philippe, made in Switzerland, dated 1920s. The Atlas places it in the Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking period (1900 – 1945) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: gold. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — WatchMuseum.org shop
Step back in time with the exquisite Patek Philippe Yellow Gold Pocket Watch from the 1920s, a masterpiece that epitomizes the elegance and craftsmanship of a bygone era. This remarkable timepiece, crafted by the renowned Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe, is a testament to the brand’s legacy of precision and luxury. Encased in a stunning 44mm three-piece 18k yellow gold case, it features intricate embossed enamel initial designs on the case back, showcasing the meticulous attention to detail that defines Patek Philippe’s creations. The watch is powered by a high-quality 18-jewel mechanical, manual wind nickel lever movement, a hallmark of superior watchmaking during this period. Its Gold Gilt metal dial remains in pristine condition, adorned with a sub seconds chapter and elegant Breguet hands, both signature elements of the era’s horological design. This pocket watch is not merely a timekeeping device but a valuable piece of history, embodying the sophistication and innovation of the early 20th century. For collectors and connoisseurs alike, this Patek Philippe Yellow Gold Pocket Watch represents a rare opportunity to own a piece of horological heritage, a symbol of timeless beauty and enduring quality that transcends generations. This Patek Philippe Pocket Watch is a true antique, dating back to the 1920s. The watch features a 44mm 18k yellow gold three-piece case with embossed enamel initial design work on the case back. The movement is a high-quality 18-jewel mechanical, manual wind nickel lever movement, which was the standard at the time. The Gold Gilt metal dial of the watch is in excellent condition and looks as good as it did when it was first created. It features a sub seconds chapter and Breguet hands, which were also a common feature of watches of this era. This watch is a beautiful and valuable piece of history that any watch collector would be proud to add to their collection .Creator: Patek Philippe Case Material: 18k Gold,Yellow Gold Movement: Manual Wind Case Dimensions: Width: 44 mm (1.74 in) Place of Origin: Switzerland Period: 1920-1929 Date of Manufacture: 1920s Condition: Excellent
Historical context
Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
The wristwatch displaces the pocket watch; waterproof cases, self-winding and grand complications.
The pocket watch reached technical maturity and then began to give way to the wristwatch after the First World War. Complicated watches for collectors such as Henry Graves Jr. and James Ward Packard, railroad watches, and slim Art Deco dress watches are characteristic.
Read the period in the timelineMore pocket watches from this periodEarlier: Industrial Revolution
Atlas type guide
Pocket watches
The pocket watch was the dominant personal timekeeper from the late seventeenth century until the First World War. Its development tracks the history of the escapement: verge watches with fusees until the late eighteenth century; Thomas Mudge's lever escapement (c. 1755) and the cylinder escapement popularised by George Graham and later by Swiss makers; and the Swiss and English lever watches of the nineteenth century. Lépine's bar-bridge calibre and keyless winding made watches thinner and easier to use.
Industrialisation transformed the trade: American factories such as Waltham (from 1850) and Elgin produced interchangeable parts by machine, and Swiss makers responded with their own mechanisation after the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition. By 1900 a reliable watch was affordable to millions; the finest makers continued to produce complications and precision watches.
What to look for
- The escapement: verge (crown wheel), cylinder, duplex, English or Swiss lever.
- Key winding (a square arbor in dial or back) or keyless crown winding.
- Signatures and serial numbers on the movement, dial and inside case back.
- Hallmarks, case maker's marks and gold or silver standards stamped in the case.
- Dial material: enamel, silver, gold, later printed metal.
Dating clues
- Verge watches dominate before c. 1800; cylinder watches c. 1770–1900; lever watches after c. 1820.
- Keyless winding: increasingly common after c. 1860.
- Manufacturer serial number lists exist for Waltham, Elgin, Longines, Omega, Patek Philippe and others.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
Read next:Verge escapementDetached lever escapementFuseeIdentification Centre
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