PATEK PHILIPPE TWO TRAIN TRIP REPEATING POCKET WATCH, RETAILED BY SPAULDING & CO., PARIS

This watch was originally delivered to Spaulding & Co., the important Chicago based retailer. By the late 1890s, Spaulding had an important retail presence in Paris and aggressively imported watches from Geneva to compete with its arch-nemesis Tiffany & Co based in NYC. This pocket watch is a very rare example of a two-train minute repeater, one train supplies power for the repeater and the other for the time (going) train. Typically we see repeaters with a slide that engages and powers the repeater. Here we see the crown with a small downward push which triggers the repeating mechanism almost effortlessly. The trip repeater was first used by Patek Philippe circa 1884 and was finally patented in 1890. By 1912, Patek Philippe ceased production of this lavish complication due to the high cost of production. For examples of two other two train minute repeaters, see Patek Philippe Watches, Vol. 1, Patek Philippe Museum, 2013, p. 252.

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