Image credit: Collectability.
The Crow & The Fox
Patek Philippe’s Phenomenal Prototype Pocket Watch
On December 4, 2021, Charlie Dunne wrote about the Patek Philippe reference 784, also known as “The Crow and The Fox”, with the incredible guidance from Tania Edwards of Collectability. Conceived through the brilliant mind of Louis Cottier during 1958, this timepiece exemplifies The Art of Patek Philippe by harmoniously paying respect to the arts of both automata and literature.
The provenance behind the design comes directly from fabelist Jean de la Fontane’s ‘The Raven and the Fox’. Over the years, the pocket watch has very much remained out of sight beyond a handful of publications. Yet this remarkable creation remains unmistakable amongst thousands of creations that came before and after.
You can read the full article “The Crow and The Fox: Patek Philippe’s Phenomenal Prototype Pocket Watch” on Collectability. Complementing the article, below are some of the occasions the watch has surfaced over the years.
A special acknowledgement towards John Reardon, Elisa Catenazzi, and Tania Edwards of Collectability, as well as Serge Maillard of Europa Star.
Image credit: Europa Star Archives.
“The timepiece appeared in the 1962 Patek Philippe ad above in the 19th issue of Eastern Jeweler & Watchmaker. The mysterious pocket watch can be seen amongst four wristwatches: the ref. 3467 on a gold bracelet, a ref. 2496, as well as a ladies’ “Joallerie” concealed timepiece designed by Gilbert Albert. The prototype ref. 784 amongst these watches was certainly the focal point of the page, although unlike the other watches, it was not for sale.”
On October 23rd, 1969, The Odessa American highlighted a “Priceless Exhibition of Antique Timepieces from [The] Patek Philippe Museum” which would be on view at Gerson’s Jewelers the following day. The article emphasized attendees would have the opportunity to witness “the most beautiful and historically interesting timepieces ever made”. On top of that, the timepieces featured in this special exhibition would “be seen for the first time by the general public”!
To have been one of the few Texans privileged to attend this special event would have been an incredible experience. Particularly in the fact that the watches included such breathtaking provenance. Among those featured were a heart-shaped watch made for Marie-Christine, Queen of Spain (circa 1858), Empress Eugenie of France’s watches from circa 1852, Madame Curie’s timepiece from the turn of the 20th century, in addition to Pope Pius XI’s minute repeater pocket watch from 1928 which was decorated with the Papal Coat of Arms.
The Odessa American October 23, 1969
Just under six months later, the timepiece would resurface within the American media. This time in The Charlotte Observer on April 3rd, 1970. Within Bill McCallister’s photograph for the paper one can see the timepiece captioned as “a rare linear-movement watch” (this time featuring the bow). Observer Fashion Editor Ruth Emily Aschmann introduces the Charlotte readers to the world of Patek Philippe in a fantastic manner.
“To Americans, whose national way of life features planned obsolescence, it is hard to understand the Swiss, whose national way of life stresses accuracy and quality, and their excitement over a three-second per day tolerance in a watch.”
The Charlotte Observer April 3, 1970
Aschmann goes on to describe four timepieces featured within the article, a cloisonne watch owned by Countess of Agout circa 1845, as well as the aforementioned timepieces owned by Madame Curie and Pope Pius XI. Again, the final timepiece emphasized is the brilliant reference 784.
“The fourth watch, made in 1956, does not have a dial at all but rather has a linear movement. On the “face” there are gold figures of a wolf and a crow, surrounded by arcs that are number[ed] 1 to 12 and 0 to 60 respectively”.
Aschmann would then go on to quote Patek Philippe sales representative Robert Harris on the bespoke timepieces that deviate from such dials “shaped like TV’s cushions, ovals and squares’.