1943 UK Perfect Replica Patek Philippe Ref. 1485 In Stainless Steel
I heard everyone is talking about stainless steel square Pateks! I’m not only featuring this watch to mention the Cubitus and up my SEO chances but because the reference 1485 is one of my favorite vintage time-only Pateks – and quite slept on as well. Quick aside, if you’re genuinely curious where the Cubitus design might come from within the history of best replica Patek Philippe, you can see inspiration from the ref. 3854, the ref. 3770 “Nautellipse,” and, obviously, the most recent steel Nautilus. Alright, back to the 1485 and why I love it so much.
If you can’t tell by my love of Movado (keep reading, fellow Movado lovers) and Mido, the casemaker François Borgel, or Taubert if you’re a real nerd, holds a special place in my heart. Most Borgel cases, like the top fake Patek Philippe ref. 565 or those for Movado’s Sub Sea Chronographs, are round with a decagonal screw-down caseback. This early and patented water-resistant caseback design (CH 130942) is legendary but does not work with a non-round case shape. Borgel, as an innovator in the water-resistant case space, then patented an entirely different design for square or rectangular cases (CH 207378). This is the Borgel case design used on Patek’s 1485. Put simply, the caseback and bezel form the two main parts of the case and three locking strips slide into the case sides to squeeze everything together tight enough that with the use of a thick gasket, water resistance is achieved.
The Borgel design is interesting to me but, by this point, I have come across enough Borgel-cased top replica watches that don’t work quite as well as a wearable wristwatch in 2024. The 1485 works incredibly well. It is 26mm across by 35mm tall with the small scroll-esque lugs and ultimately, for me, that is a perfect size for a slim vintage square watch. The dial design is classic cheap super clone Patek Philippe with applied Arabic numerals at three, nine, and 12 o’clock and I am really drawn to the simple long hour markers at the other hours.
By my count, 18 examples of the 1485 have surfaced for sale, ever. That being said, for a long time, like a really long time, prices were stagnant around $10-12k. I know because I was watching for a good one, hoping to pick one up for years. Unfortunately for me, two examples (one good, one great) sold last May. The Swiss made copy watches for sale here is the first to come up since these high water marks and will be an interesting test of the burgeoning 1485 market.
The second serially produced luxury replica Patek Philippe wristwatch to feature both perpetual-calendar and chronograph complications, the Ref. 2499 is a perennial collectors’ favorite. This early pink-gold example, dating to 1950, is from the first of four series. With only 349 2499s ever made and just 55 belonging to the first series, it’s unquestionably rare; that only six from the initial run are known to be pink gold, however, means its new owner will also receive serious bragging rights.