A HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT PATEK PHILIPPE YELLOW GOLD OBSERVATORY CHRONOMETER

This Extra Quality chronometer was made for Frederick Van Voorhies Holman (1852-1927) in 1903 and was delivered in November of 1904. Before being shipped to the United States, the movement was submitted to the Geneva Observatory and earned an Honorable Mention. The adjuster for this chronometer was the celebrated J. Golay-Audemars. The patron of this timepiece requested his name to be placed on the cuvette as well as his monogram on the caseback. Even the original certificate mentions his initials ‘F.V.H’. Mr. Holman was a celebrated civic leader from Portland, Oregon, legal counsel to the Portland Rail, Light and Power Company, and president of the Oregon Historical Society for decades. Interestingly, he was obsessed with roses and is credited with giving Portland the nickname of the ‘Rose City’. Complete with its original box, papers, and extra crystal, this immaculately preserved work of art is a little piece of American history housing the best of early 20th century Swiss chronometry.