Phillips, in association with Bacs & Russo, will present one of the most important watches in horological history: the very first stainless-steel Patek Philippe Ref. 1518 ever made. Engraved with the number “1” inside its caseback, this extraordinary timepiece will headline the Decade One (2015–2025) Auction in Geneva on 8–9 November.
Introduced in 1941, the Ref. 1518 was the world’s first perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch. While most of the 281 examples were made in yellow or pink gold, just four are known in stainless steel, placing them among the rarest watches ever produced. This very watch set records at Phillips in 2016, selling for CHF 11,002,000—the first wristwatch to surpass eight figures at auction.
Manufactured in 1943 and sold in 1944, it remains the most expensive vintage Patek Philippe ever auctioned and now carries an estimate of CHF 80 Lakhs to 1.6Cr.
