What does 18K gold mean on a watch?

Rare Louis Duchene Cie. 18K Gold polychrome enamel, pearl and diamond set lyre form keywound verge watch with concealed dial and open back window Circa 1810 Musical instruments...

The antique Waltham pocket watch, paired with its chain and fob, is a remarkable example of late 19th-century American craftsmanship. Constructed in 14K rose gold, this timepiece com...

NAMED ONE OF WATCHPRO MAGAZINE’S “HOT 100” - THE TOP 100 INFLUENCERS OF THE U.S. WATCH INDUSTRY. HOW CAN WE SERVE YOU? We’re new to offering our carefully curated collection on 1stD...

Vintage IWC 18k Yellow Gold Watch with Onyx Inlay & Diamond Bezel – 36mm A striking and uncommon design from International Watch Co. (IWC), this vintage men’s dress watch features a...

NAMED ONE OF WATCHPRO MAGAZINE’S “HOT 100” - THE TOP 100 INFLUENCERS OF THE U.S. WATCH INDUSTRY. HOW CAN WE SERVE YOU? We’re new to offering our carefully curated collection on 1stD...

NAMED ONE OF WATCHPRO MAGAZINE’S “HOT 100” - THE TOP 100 INFLUENCERS OF THE U.S. WATCH INDUSTRY. HOW CAN WE SERVE YOU? We’re new to offering our carefully curated collection on 1stDibs, but we have sold over 10,000 fine watches and exceptionally served thousands of customers with a 5.0 star rating. 1912 PATEK PHILIPPE Vintage Ladies Miniature Pendant 18K Gold, Enamel Diamond Watch - Patek Papers Stunning Objet de Vertu - Exceptional Original with Papers - 1 Year Warranty Following after our exceptional Vacheron Constantin watch made in book form and continuing on the same theme of objects of virtue, today's auction showcases this exceedingly fine and rare Patek miniature pendant watch. Much more than just a watch, it is a surviving work of elite human artistry, created at a moment in history when Patek Philippe accepted commissions from the most refined and powerful patrons. During the late 19th century, Patek Philippe produced very few pendant watches of this caliber, and fewer still that crossed fully into the realm of object de vertu. These were not catalog items. They were not produced in runs. Pieces like this were usually either bespoke commissions or special-order creations reserved for clients whose wealth, social standing, and cultural sophistication justified the involvement of multiple elite craftsmen working over extended periods of time. Its stunningly beautiful 18K gold case with softly rendered waterside scene alone represents weeks of hand labour. On the back, a tranquil waterside landscape emerges in enamel - fine reeds, quiet water, and a softened horizon rendered with a painter’s patience rather than a jeweler’s urgency. The scene is gently held within a border of red enamel and small diamonds, which lend a subtle glow without disturbing the stillness of the composition. Placed not for ostentation, but for balance the diamonds are a quiet declaration of wealth so assured it does not need to announce itself. The result is closer to a miniature painting set in gold than a timepiece. Our photos couldn't do it justice. The adorned rear was painstakingly hand-painted in polychrome enamel - a fragile, irreversible process requiring extraordinary skill. Each color is fired separately in a kiln, with no margin for error; a single flaw would destroy days or weeks of work. Enamellers capable of this level of execution were among the most highly trained decorative artists in Europe, often apprenticed from childhood and working only for the very finest maisons. Fully crafted by Patek and the artisans they hired, it bears all of the correct makers hallmarks. It is gorgeously designed and perfectly executed with its original platinum case and even fancy diamond set bow. The central blue and white cameo of a cherub is set against a high-polished background that serves as a mirrored backdrop making a striking presentation. The mirrored background is covered with a finely decorated platinum lattice design. Inside, the watch houses its original gilt Patek Philippe cylinder escapement movement, signed and numbered, protected beneath a matching gold cuvette. According to its accompanying Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives, the movement was manufactured in 1886, with the completed watch first sold more than 25 years later on June 15th, 1912. By this time, such pieces were typically acquired by women of exceptional status — aristocrats, heiresses, or the wives and daughters of industrial magnates — often purchased at the world’s great jewelers in Paris, Geneva, London, or New York. One can easily imagine this watch worn as a pendant at formal dinners, salons, or private gatherings where refinement was understood rather than displayed. Today, examples of hand-enameled Patek Philippe pendant...