This marks the one of the few times we are offering a watch that is not a Patek Philippe — and for good reason. This is a rare ‘school watch’ made in 1966 by the celebrated watchmaker Daniel Gras. For the astute eye, you will see the case, dial and movement all closely resemble what we see from Patek Philippe in the mid-20th century. It closely resembles a ref. 565A or ref. 2509A for good reason: the same suppliers to Patek Philippe also supplied parts to the Ecole D’Horologerie. The water resistant, screw-back case of this school watch was supplied by Francois Borgel (Taubert), the same case maker that supplied Patek Philippe with numerous iconic steel cases (such as references 96, 570, 1463). The movement ebauche for this school watch is a Patek Philippe caliber 12-120, the same caliber used on many ref. 96s as well as ref. 570s. This school watch dial was made by Stern Frères. The movement is where this watchmaker ultimately proved his talent, and each and every part is finished to the school’s highest standard. This watch, made by Daniel Gras, is exceptionally finished to a standard fully in line with Patek Philippe’s production. Perlage and Geneva Stripes adorn the bridges and plates; each part has hand-chamfered edges; the movement is hand-jeweled and includes a gold balance wheel. Daniel Gras continues to work as a watchmaker to this day and his atelier can be found near the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. For the last time this watch was seen in public, click here.
For the collector of independent watchmaking and/or vintage Patek Philippe steel watches, this exceptional school watch is ready to wear and offers a specimen school watch of the highest quality.
For more information on this watch, please see this video.
