Patek Philippe
Ref. 2552
A highly rare and well-preserved yellow gold double-signed wristwatch with small seconds, stepped bezel, bracelet and presentation box, retailed by Tiffany & Co.
Manufacturer : Patek Philippe
Year : 1954
Reference No : 2552
Movement No : 760’815
Case No : 686’451
Model Name : Disco Volante
Material : 18K yellow gold
Calibre : Automatic, cal. 12-600AT, 30 jewels
Bracelet/Strap : 18K yellow gold Tiffany & Co. bracelet, max length 180mm
Clasp/Buckle : 18K yellow gold Tiffany & co. deployant clasp stamped “PAT’D, C+B
Dimensions : 36mm diameter
Signed : Case, dial, movement signed, dial and bracelet signed Tiffany & Co
Accessories : Accompanied by Tiffany & Co. fitted presentation box. Further delivered with the Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming the date of manufacture of the present timepiece in 1954 and its subsequent date of sale on 16th September 1955
Literature : Reference 2552 is illustrated in Patek Philippe Wristwatches by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, second edition, p. 215 Bestowed with a charming moniker, the Patek Philippe ref. 2552 “Disco Volante” features a modern and refined stepped case. Translated as “Flying Saucer” in Italian, the ref. 2552 was produced from 1954 until 1960 and was powered by the brand’s first legendary self-winding calibre 12-600.
With a different wrist presence in comparison to the ref. 2526 sculpted case and the ref. 2551, the ref. 2552 takes a balance between the two. Design and crafted by A. Wenger (Key number 1) featuring wide stepped bezel and down turned lug, the references all share the same desirable double P crown design. Naturally drawing you inwards, the incredible vanilla hued dial has gained a charming almost champagne gold ring that graduates towards the centre. Its spectacular hard raised enamel signature is blessed with the prestigious Tiffany & Co signature at 12 o’clock making this a highly collectible example. An exceptionally well-preserved timepiece, to the best of our knowledge, approximately 60 yellow gold examples have publicly appeared in the market, and only a mere of 6 examples carries the Tiffany & Co. signature.
Diving deeper, the case is stamped with strong hallmark on the lug, the inventory code “5532” vividly hand engraved on the back of the top lug as one should find it, as well as ‘451’ on the inner surface, the numbers matches perfectly to the case number of the present timepiece. It's screwed down caseback retains crisply stamped 18K mark that is known to be unforgiving under polishing.
And of course, opening its caseback does not fail to impress you. It houses Patek Philippe’s superb automatic caliber 12-600 beautifully hand decorated and stamped with the Geneva seal which features a gold guilloché rotor and Patek Philippe’s signature Gyromax balance. Furthermore, the movement is stamped accordingly with ‘HOX,’ the correct import mark for the American market.
The icing on the cake is the matching gold Tiffany & Co. bracelet that elevated the aesthetic of the ref. 2552. A beautiful silky mesh bracelet that will wrap perfectly around a collector’s wrist, the present timepiece is furthermore confirmed by the Patek Philippe as an example from 1954 and is certainly one of the most enticing specimen to resurface the market.
