PATEK PHILIPPE LIMITED EDITION HUNTER CASE WATCH WITH CHAIN REF. 898J

It is with great pleasure that Collectability presents this anniversary watch from Patek Philippe’s first limited edition series. Made to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Federal Shooting Competition in Lucerne, 1979, this hunter case watch is one of just 100 pieces made. The first example was given to the winner of the Federal Shooting Competition, the second to the Patek Philippe Museum. The remaining pieces were sold by famed Swiss retailer, Gübelin, Geneva.

It is interesting to note that Patek Philippe chose not to commemorate an important date in its own history for its first limited edition, but to support a long-standing retail partner and a Swiss event that dates back to 1824. Shooting competitions, also known as Schützenfests (“marksmen’s festival”) once played an important part in the Old Swiss Confederacy and maintained democracy with the new Swiss Federal State. Traditionally, silver coins were minted to commemorate important shooting competitions and for the 1979 anniversary, famed Swiss artist Hans Erni (1909 – 2015) designed a special coin depicting legendary folk hero William Tell, crouching barefoot with his crossbow as he prepares for the assassination of his nemesis Albrecht Gessler. The limited edition collection also features Hans Erni’s striking image on the front of both the pendant and the dress watch.

Made of 18K yellow gold with a magnificent, hand-finished 18K gold chain, this historically relevant timepiece is an important addition to any collection.

For more information, please read the first installment in Collectability’s series on Patek Philippe limited editions here. 

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