A PATEK PHILIPPE PLATINUM AND DIAMOND POCKET WATCH, REF. 600P

The ref. 600 was one of the most popular pocket watch models of Patek Philippe’s 20th century production. Made from the early 1930s until circa 1969, the reference evolved through many different variations and styles. This platinum and baguette version is the most luxurious and most expensive of ref. 600 versions, retailing for 1250 USD in the 1940s (compared to 1500 USD for a ref. 1518 at the time).

The movement features the PXP stamped on the balance cock indicating that this watch was originally exported to the American market through the Henri Stern Watch Agency. In this case, it was originally retailed by Black, Starr & Gorham in New York. The company had numerous name changes in its history and in 1929 it also merged with Spaulding, the Chicago based jeweler (and longtime Patek Philippe retailer). In 1953, Marilyn Monroe famously sang the song ‘Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend’ in the movie Gentleman Prefer Blondes and name drops the top American jewelers: Tiffany, Cartier, Harry Winston, and Black, Starr, Frost and Gorham. This immortalized the retailer and to this day Patek Philippe dials from this exclusive store are coveted by collectors for their rarity and notoriety.

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