Paul Picot La Rattrapante | A limited edition yellow gold...
Dial: silvered
Calibre: cal. PP 310, based on the Venus 179 manual winding, 22 jewels
Case: 18k yellow gold, sapphire crystal display case back secured by 6 screws
Case number: 088
Closure: gold-plated Paul Picot pin buckle
Size: 42 mm diameter
Signed: case and dial
Accessories: Paul Picot blank international guarantee certificate and presentation box with outer packaging
Please note the leather strap derived from endangered species is not sold with the watch. The watch will be shipped with a Sotheby’s branded calf leather strap.
Catalogue Note:
Founded in 1976 by Mario Boiocchi, Paul Picot emerged during the quartz crisis with a philosophy firmly rooted in traditional mechanical watchmaking. Among its most accomplished creations was La Rattrapante, produced in a limited series of just 200 examples. At its heart is the exceptional manually wound Venus 179, elaborated and finished by Paul Picot as the calibre PP 310. Celebrated for its sophisticated column wheel architecture and intricate split-seconds mechanism, the Venus 179 belongs to a distinguished generation of chronograph movements, admired today for both its mechanical ingenuity and the extraordinary complexity of its construction.
Dating from circa 2001, the present example combines this remarkable movement with calendar indications and moon phases within an impressive yellow gold case. Its beautifully guilloché silvered dial, blued Breguet-style hands and elegant Roman numerals are reminiscent of the classical aesthetic of Abraham-Louis Breguet. Despite the wealth of information displayed, the composition remains remarkably harmonious, with calendar indications at 12 o’clock, chronograph counters at 3 and 9, and moon phases with an additional calendar display at 6. The distinctive reeded bezel and sculptural screwed lugs lend the watch a more exuberant character, while the sapphire crystal case back reveals the fascinating interplay of levers, wheels and clamps that bring the rattrapante mechanism to life.
Individually numbered 088 of just 200 examples, the present watch carries a particularly auspicious number, with the double eight traditionally associated with prosperity and good fortune in Chinese culture. Accompanied by its presentation case, outer packaging and Paul Picot international guarantee certificate, it represents a particularly complete example of this fascinating neo-vintage complication, bringing together the elegance of classical watchmaking and the mechanical ambition of the late 20th century.
Dial: silvered
Calibre: cal. PP 310, based on the Venus 179 manual winding, 22 jewels
Case: 18k yellow gold, sapphire crystal display case back secured by 6 screws
Case number: 088
Closure: gold-plated Paul Picot pin buckle
Size: 42 mm diameter
Signed: case and dial
Accessories: Paul Picot blank international guarantee certificate and presentation box with outer packaging
Please note the leather strap derived from endangered species is not sold with the watch. The watch will be shipped with a Sotheby’s branded calf leather strap.
Catalogue Note:
Founded in 1976 by Mario Boiocchi, Paul Picot emerged during the quartz crisis with a philosophy firmly rooted in traditional mechanical watchmaking. Among its most accomplished creations was La Rattrapante, produced in a limited series of just 200 examples. At its heart is the exceptional manually wound Venus 179, elaborated and finished by Paul Picot as the calibre PP 310. Celebrated for its sophisticated column wheel architecture and intricate split-seconds mechanism, the Venus 179 belongs to a distinguished generation of chronograph movements, admired today for both its mechanical ingenuity and the extraordinary complexity of its construction.
Dating from circa 2001, the present example combines this remarkable movement with calendar indications and moon phases within an impressive yellow gold case. Its beautifully guilloché silvered dial, blued Breguet-style hands and elegant Roman numerals are reminiscent of the classical aesthetic of Abraham-Louis Breguet. Despite the wealth of information displayed, the composition remains remarkably harmonious, with calendar indications at 12 o’clock, chronograph counters at 3 and 9, and moon phases with an additional calendar display at 6. The distinctive reeded bezel and sculptural screwed lugs lend the watch a more exuberant character, while the sapphire crystal case back reveals the fascinating interplay of levers, wheels and clamps that bring the rattrapante mechanism to life.
Individually numbered 088 of just 200 examples, the present watch carries a particularly auspicious number, with the double eight traditionally associated with prosperity and good fortune in Chinese culture. Accompanied by its presentation case, outer packaging and Paul Picot international guarantee certificate, it represents a particularly complete example of this fascinating neo-vintage complication, bringing together the elegance of classical watchmaking and the mechanical ambition of the late 20th century.
