1942 Patek Philippe Waterproof (Ref. 1485) Stainless Steel W/ Extract from the Archives

The watch advert heard round the world. “You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation.” We're in the camp that this couldn't be more true. The craftsmanship of Patek Philippe wristwatches, surpassed by arguably no one for decades, has created a generational foundation for these watches to be passed down and to remain functional, relevant, and timeless for years to come. In this case just two shy of a full century.

Patek Philippe’s archives are full of countless important models, but one of the more unusual and seldom discussed is the reference 1485. First created in 1940, the Patek Philippe ref. 1485 is considered to be one of the brand’s very earliest attempts at producing a waterproof case, and the model is only known to exist in stainless steel. Beyond its square profile with thick cylindrical lugs, the single most noteworthy feature of the ref. 1485 is that the sides of its case horizontally slide to close/lock the watch. Although it was highly innovative from a design standpoint, Patek Philippe’s waterproof sliding case was not very successful at preventing moisture intrusion during real-world use. Consequently, the idea behind the ref. 1485 was soon abandoned, making it one of the rarest Patek Philippe watches from the 1940s..