This 18-carat gold pocket watch was manufactured by Patek Philippe in Geneva in 1907 and sold in 1908 by Tiffany & Co in New York. It is fitted with an extra-thin 5-minute repeater movement, a classical complication of early 20th century high-grade watchmaking. The repeater indicates the time acoustically: the hours are struck on a low tone, followed by the five-minute intervals on a higher tone. Such mechanisms, composed of many finely adjusted components, represent one of the great traditions of classical pocket watchmaking.
The extract from the Patek Philippe archives confirms the characteristics of the watch: extra-thin movement, 5-minute repeater, 18-carat gold case and sale in 1908. This document precisely places the watch in its historical context and confirms its authenticity. The Tiffany & Co signature on the case highlights the important role played by this major New York retailer in the distribution of Patek Philippe watches in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century. Between Geneva manufacturing and New York retailing, this watch reflects the close relationship between Swiss watchmaking and the American market of that period.
The movement was completely dismantled in order to be cleaned, inspected and adjusted. As with all repeater watches, special attention was given to the striking mechanism, whose proper functioning depends on the precise adjustment of many delicate components. The aim of the restoration was not to make the watch new again, but to preserve as much of the original material as possible while restoring reliable and correct operation. Restoring such a watch requires not only technical skill, but also a deep understanding of its construction and historical context.
The engraving inside the case indicates that this watch was presented to Stephen Merrell Clement Jr for his 21st birthday on November 10th, 1908. This inscription made it possible to begin historical research in order to identify the original owner and his family background. The Clement family belonged to the banking and industrial environment of Buffalo, New York, at a time when wealthy American families acquired high-quality watches from Swiss manufacturers through prestigious retailers such as Tiffany & Co. This watch is therefore not only a fine horological object, but also the witness of a personal and family history spanning more than a century before arriving in my workshop.
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