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The Ferrari That Stayed In Geneva.
Ferrari helped give Patek Philippe one of its most eccentric Calatravas, then managed to talk itself out of having its name on it.
In the late 1980s, Ferrari approached Patek Philippe about creating a watch to give clients purchasing a new car. The resulting design became the reference 5000, but the partnership stalled over branding. Ferrari wanted its name and logo on the dial, plus an engraving on the back; Philippe Stern would accept the name once on the dial, without the logo. Neither side budged, and Patek put the watch into its own collection. A fairly productive disagreement, as these things go.
You can see the automotive connection immediately. The black dial, white Arabic numerals and triangular minute markers bring vintage dashboard instruments to mind, with the Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa’s gauges offering a particularly convincing resemblance. Collectability identifies that dashboard as a likely influence, rather than a confirmed blueprint. The small seconds tucked beside four o’clock gives the whole arrangement its wonderfully offbeat character.
This 1993 example pairs that dial with a 33mm 18k white gold case and substantial, curved lugs. Through the sapphire exhibition back, the automatic calibre 240 PS reveals its finishing and recessed 22k gold micro-rotor. Turn it over again and you’re back behind the wheel.
Originally sold in New York on February 24, 1993, it remains exceptionally well preserved with its original Patek Philippe strap and oval deployant buckle. The accompanying set deserves some attention, too: inner and outer boxes, Certificate of Origin, hang tag, leather document holder, original numbered envelope, instruction manual and accompanying Patek literature. Someone understood the assignment in 1993.
For a collector drawn to Patek’s less conventional years, this brings together an unusual design, a very good backstory and the pleasure of finding everything still together. The Ferrari is entirely optional.
Excellent overall condition with light signs of wear.
The white gold case retains well-defined contours with fine surface marks.
The black dial is clean, with crisp white printing and no visible deterioration.
The exhibition caseback is well preserved, with legible markings and visible hallmarks.
The white hands are well preserved, and the sapphire crystal shows no obvious scratches.
The original Patek Philippe strap shows minimal wear, including light wear to the underside, with its gold lettering intact, and retains its original signed deployant buckle.
Service history is unknown; the automatic movement will be inspected by our watchmaker before shipping to meet our warranty standards.
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US Tariffs: We take a thoughtful cross-border approach to keep import costs low with no unexpected surprises.
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