Today's offering showcases this very rare and pleasing full size Patek Philippe mens watch.

With its beautiful salmon face and timeless case with long lugs, it showcases a classic and very elegant vintage style. It has a truly wonderful presence on the wrist.

Our example has a desirable double-signed dial, co-signed with Gubelin, the prestigious Swiss retailer, one of Europe's premier jewelers.

It is equipped with an illustrious Patek Philippe caliber 12-120 movement, unquestionably among the finest hand-winding movements ever built, and the watch that powered many of the early desirable handwound Pateks like the original ref. 96 Calatrava.

It measures just under 35mm in diameter and its lugs make it wear even a little larger than that.

The 1543 is a very rare reference. The Ref. 1543 was launched in 1942 in yellow gold and in pink gold and was still listed as being in production as late as 1950. According to a 2012 Sotheby's listing, less than 30 examples in yellow gold are known to exist.

We are pleased to offer it in original condition.

Its 18K yellow gold case is in excellent condition with only light wear and light signs of previous polishing. It retains crisp hallmarks. We have not polished it. Please inquire if you would like us to.

Its salmon so-called "Explorer" style dial with numbers for the primary hours signed both Patek Philippe and Gubelin with hard enamel has a lovely style. It has one indention near 12 and very slight loss of printing around seconds - it shows only mild aging.

We acquired the watch in non-running condition from an estate through an intermediary. One of our Master Watchmakers painstakingly worked to restore the movement to its former glory - he fully serviced it which consisted of fully disassembling the movement, carefully inspecting each part, replacing any overly worn components including the fourth wheel with a correct genuine Patek replacement, reassembling and lubricating the movement, and extensive timing testing and regulation (a $2495 value).

It is now running very strong and true, keeping accurate time.

Please inquire if you would like us to request an extract from the Patek Philippe archives for you. They charge 500 CHF for the service.

Included with the purchase is a one-year C.O.T. international warranty on the movement and its function, a full-page custom printed Connoisseur of Time Certificate of Authenticity, and a new timing certificate.

Your watch is important to us, and we will take care of it for its lifetime. We provide the best after sale care in the business with an extremely experienced team of four Master Watchmakers all of whom each have over thirty-five years of experience and a large number of parts. One used to be the watchmaker for an authorized Rolex dealership and was given special training by Rolex at their Beverly Hills Service Center.

Manufacturer: Patek Philippe
Country of origin: Switzerland
Year built: 1944 - we previously sold another 1543 whose serial was less than 500 units after this one, and its Extract from the Patek Archives states it was built in 1944 and sold in 1945.
Serial no.: 925,708
Model: Ref. 1543
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Subsidiary Seconds
Designed for: Men
Case material: 18K yellow gold
Case markings (inside): Patek Phillipe, Geneve, 18K, 635,368
Case condition: Excellent condition with only light wear and light signs of previous polishing. 
Dial: Salmon, black painted baton and Arabic indices done in so-called "Explorer" style with numbers for the primary hours, signed Patek Philippe and Gubelin with hard enamel printing, one indention near 12 and very slight loss of printing around seconds - only mild aging. Please inquire if you would like restored.
Dimensions: 35mm wide (excluding crown - approx. 37mm including) by 42mm long lug tip-to-tip 
Hands: Original gold "baton" hour and minute hands, period seconds
Movement type: Extremely high grade, cal. 12’’’-120, rhodium-plated, “fausses côtes” decoration, 18 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, swan-neck micrometer regulator
Movement markings: Patek Philippe & Co., Geneve, 925,708
Band: Crocodile, fully stitched, padded, brand new and unworn with unsigned gold tone buckle
Crystal: Acrylic, excellent condition
Serviced: One of our Master Watchmakers painstakingly worked to restore the movement to its former glory - he fully serviced it which consisted of fully disassembling the movement, carefully inspecting each part, replacing any overly worn components including the fourth wheel with a correct genuine Patek replacement, reassembling and lubricating the movement, and extensive timing testing and regulation (a $2495 value).
Timing: Timed to precision on a state-of-the-art computerized system. It is running very strong and true, keeping accurate time.
Warranty: 1-year C.O.T. international warranty. Your watch is important to us, and we will take care of it for its lifetime. We provide the best after sale care in the business with an extremely experienced team of four Master Watchmakers all of whom each have over thirty-five years of experience and a large number of parts. One used to be the watchmaker for an authorized Rolex dealership and was given special training by Rolex at their Beverly Hills Service Center.
Box/Papers: BOX - Connoisseur of Time watch presentation box; PAPERS - Custom printed Connoisseur of Time Certificate of Authenticity; New timing certificate
Returns: 7 days full refund. 100% satisfaction guarantee

We offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee for all of our watches. If you are in any way unsatisfied with the watch we will fully refund the purchase price anytime within 7 days after the watch has been received. Our goal is to exceed our client's expectations throughout the buying experience.

All watches are packaged carefully and mailed double boxed in specially constructed, reinforced shipping boxes designed for high value items. All watches are sent fully insured with signature required. Most of our domestic shipping is done through FedEx. At times we will also use USPS Express Mail, and we can accommodate most requests for your preferred carrier. International shipments are sent USPS International Express Mail or FedEx.

The purchase price will be the declared value of the merchandise on any required customs forms. The payment of all customs duties, tariffs, and taxes are the responsibility of the buyer.

Also note that water resistance of vintage watches can no longer be guaranteed and is not covered under the watch's warranty. We do not recommend getting a vintage watch wet, even one that was originally designed to be waterproof.

To get an idea of how this watch will look on the wrist, please use the Watch Sizing Guide

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