A superb, early and very fine example of Patek Philippe’s classic minute repeater with split seconds chronograph, the present watch features a combination of a 60-minute and a 12-hour register which is extremely rare. Indeed, it is one of only eight known watches with minute repeating and split-seconds chronograph to have this combination of hour and minute registers in place of the more usual 30-minute register and subsidiary seconds dial configuration. Moreover, it is the only publicly known example with fully signed Patek Philippe dial, case, cuvette and movement. Of the eight known specimens, six are signed by the New York retailer Tiffany & Co. and one other has the dial signed by another great American retailer, Spaulding. This particularly striking watch in wonderful overall condition has a stunning white enamel dial with bold Arabic numerals with no apparent cracks or restoration.
Patek Philippe launched the production of minute repeating split seconds chronograph in the late 1870s. The combination of these two complications became one of the firm’s specialties, a large number of the production was sold to the North American market.
Even in a world where the wristwatch reigns supreme, complicated pocket watches particularly those made by Patek Philippe remain a source of fascination. The quest for timekeeping accuracy and technical complexity backed up by incredible mathematical and mechanical genius is how Patek Philippe built and cemented its reputation as the ultimate watchmaking house from the late 19th century to the present day.

The combination of minute repeating and split-seconds chronograph is considered one of the classics of watchmaking and Patek Philippe’s executions of these masterpieces of micromechanics from the early 20th century are considered to be among the best ever made and true marvels of the age. Then as now, Patek Philippe watches were coveted trophies, the ownership of which conveyed an individual’s good taste and success to other cognoscenti.

Patek Philippe's 1902 Patent for a split seconds chronograph feature is published in: Patek Philippe Pocket Watches, Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, first edition, page 58, fig. 51.