In 1950, Patek Philippe effectively updated its perpetual calendar chronograph reference 1518 with the 2499, which many regard as the more beautiful of the two. The case is 37 mm, 2 mm larger than its predecessor, and this allowed for some extra real estate to relax the dial layout a bit. The downturned lugs and concave bezel are, to this day, considered “classic Patek," though, in 1950, these features reflected a burgeoning “space-age" industrial design language. The reference was produced from 1950 to 1985, a remarkable 35-year stretch with four variations—or “series," according to collectors. Only 349 examples are known to exist, meaning that Patek Philippe was making around 10 per year. Rare stuff.
Today, the 2499 remains one of the most sought-after references at auction among elite collectors. It is common to see seven-figure bids, and in 2022 at Phillips in Hong Kong a pink-gold example hammered for $7.68 million dollars, to date the highest price for a 2499. The overall design of the 2499 remains very much alive in current Patek Philippe grand complications, such as the reference 5270 and 5271. It would be hard to think of a more pure expression of the golden era of Swiss wristwatches than the revered 2499.
From the article by Allen Farmelo, Paige Reddinger, Victoria Gomelsky, Oren Hartov, Blake Buettner
