The uncelebrated timepieces in 'A Grand Complication'

Coins, canes and complications: the uncelebrated timepieces of Graves and Packard

By: Charlie Dunne (@books_on_time)

What are the first watches that come to mind when you hear the name Henry Graves Jr. or James Ward Packard? Undoubtedly, one’s mind gravitates towards The Graves Supercomplication and The Packard. The two collectors have been immortalized within the watch community as the most prolific watch enthusiasts. And while the duel is somewhat summed up by these two complicated watches, the evolution of their watch collections paints a much broader picture of their pure love of horology. In that, it is the under-acknowledged timepieces associated with the two men that may warrant more discussion. The most comprehensive research into the two men can be found within Stacy Perman’s 2013 book A Grand Complication. It is worth highlighting these lesser-known timepieces to better appreciate the manner in which these two collectors pushed Patek Philippe (and other manufacturers) to new heights during the early half of the 20th century.

“The American collector who best exemplifies the ultimate connoisseurship and passion for Patek Philippe watches was Henry Graves Jr.”. Excerpt from Patek Philippe in America: Marketing The World’s Foremost Watch by John Reardon.

“[James Ward Packard’s] horological interests were sparked more by the mechanics of the watch than the aesthetics of the case. He sought to own timepieces with intricate and precise movements surpassing all others”. Excerpt from Patek Philippe in America.

Credit: Patek Philippe in America

Desk clocks

While 2020 was the year of the travel clock, nearly a century ago one of the most iconic desk clocks would be commissioned. James Ward Packard’s patronage had resulted in him becoming a highly valued client of Patek Philippe. As a show of its appreciation, the manufacturer “rewarded” him with a double-barrel desk clock. The clock features a perpetual calendar, moonphase, and an 8-day power reserve. Referred to as “Le Presse-papiers” this objet d'art served as both a desk clock and paperweight. It also housed a secret compartment underneath for storing small personal mementos, along with the winding key. Packard paid 5,275 Swiss francs for the timepiece and it became the marvel of his office desk in 1923. As with most of the important, bespoke timepieces, both Packard and Graves were very insistent that the manufacturer go an extra step in personalizing the work upon completion. In this example, the inlaid blue enamel J.W.P monogram was adorned atop of floral decorated engravings. Both the movement number and year of acquisition can be seen on the dial.

Packard’s Patek desk clock

Credit: Patek Philippe Pocket Watches by Huber and Banbery

Packard’s personalized Patek desk clock ( Le Presse-papiers). Movement no. 197707. Received June 7, 1923. | Credit: Hodinkee

Graves Jr.’s Patek desk clock

Credit: John Reardon of Collectability 

Many have noted that Packard and Graves Jr. both, in a sense, sponsored the Patek Philippe during periods of economic hardship. As mentioned earlier, this loyalty to the manufacturer had its perks in the form of “rewards”. However, it’s important to distinguish this from a transactional contract and instead recognize the relationship between patron and artist. Yes, a loyal client of their status would be granted a level of creative input (occasionally the line would be drawn for less tasteful client requests such as J.B. Champion’s “Happy Hour”), but the tradition of relationships has been maintained beyond the founders’ ownership. In the modern era, we see these in instances such as eligibility to acquire Rare Handcrafts or a more subtle personalized dial. In 1927, Henry Graves Jr. took possession of the second desk clock made by Patek Philippe. Known for his hands-on relationship with Patek and his love for personalization, this clock distinctly features the engraving “Made for Henry Graves Jr., New York”. This, along with Packard’s desk clock are the only two of their kind. The timepiece would have been deeply sentimental, as his collecting habits included French paperweights among various other forms of antiquity. Interestingly enough, Graves received this desk clock the same year his contemporary would acquire “The Packard”.

Graves Jr. Patek desk clock ( Le Presse-papiers). Movement number 198048 | Credit: John Reardon of Collectability

Horological paraphernalia

Credit: Sotheby’s

Considering the family business of Maxwell and Graves as a banking firm, a watch cased within a coin would seem to be quite appropriate for Graves Jr. Yet his professional interest in finance crossed over into a different form of collecting. In addition to timepieces, Stacy Perman describes an “extraordinarily comprehensive collection of rare coins” while contextualizing the man beyond the watches. He was a collector of so much, yet his horological instruments outshine any competing possessions. This commissioned piece was manufactured in 1925 and sold three years later. In line with his exclusive nature, this was one of the earliest coin-form watches made by Patek Philippe, and would go on to inspire an entire line of coin watches. The tails side of this $20 coin features an eagle, which ironically is symbolized within the most sought-after watches belonging to the collector. The Graves' family Coat-of-Arms includes the quote “Esse Quam Videri” (To Be Rather Than to Seem) below an eagle, which can be inferred as being a cue to the family’s favorite vacation destination, Eagle Island. It is important to note the context of the coat of arms, as Graves Jr. was very much adamant of personalization to his important timepieces. 

Packard’s ebony walking stick with removable watch handle. Movement no.174826. | Credit: Eric Wind of Wind Vintage

Packard also enjoyed a horological accessory that would serve to only be enjoyed on a personal level. Many collectors cite a certain understated elegance that attracts them to Patek Philippe. The ability to enjoy a fine timepiece without having to broadcast it is something that is within the DNA of the company. We see this has been a principal for over 100 years in Packard’s sterling silver watch that additionally functioned as a handle for his outdoor excursions. One thing that separated Packard from later collectors was his engineering background. His desire to create concepts for functional timepieces made his approach a more collaborative relationship. As Stacy Perman put it “men like Ward built automobiles and men like Henry Graves Jr. bought them”. This is not to say that other collectors lacked creativity, but more so to highlight Ward’s ability to visualize an engineering project and challenge the greatest manufacturers to push their boundaries. American jeweler and watchmaker Fred E. Armitage would form a friendship with Packard as his liaison between Swiss watchmakers. The walking stick watch and several other custom timepieces within his collection were acquired through the American watch agent. All were “designed as homages to art and science”.

Credit: Quill & Pad

Complicated Vacheron Constantin timepieces

Packard’s minute repeating chronograph by Vacheron Constantin. Movement no. 375551, Case no. 231922 | Credit: Hodinkee

Packard’s affinity for Vacheron Constantin was quite strong during the later portion of the 1910s. He had taken ownership of three of his first four Vacheron Constantin watches during the period of 1917-1919, and ended the decade with a particular special timepiece. In addition to being a chronograph, the watch featured a unique set of repeater functions. This watch incorporates a trip repeater, grande and petite sonnerie, and a half-quarter repeater. All of these will indicate the time increments upon the hour in a different tone. This arrangement of complications was described at its public auction as being the only time the manufacturer had completed a watch of this calibre. Just four months after Packard’s passing, the complicated Vacheron, along with several others, were bequeathed to his nephew Warren. One year after the acquisition, Warren would tragically die in an aviation accident, leaving the watch unattended in a safety deposit box for over six decades.

Credit: Hodinkee

Handwritten operating instructions for the Vacheron Constantin watch complications (possibly written by Packard). | Credit: Christie’s

Credit: Sotheby's

During a recent panel discussion with WSW, Patek Philippe expert John Reardon mentioned that in his experience, Patek Philippe collectors often have a breadth of watch brands they appreciate. Graves Jr. and Packard were no exception to this. Long before watch marketing became integrated into our daily lives, collectors would have to have been more astute. While there were certainly marketing efforts in the form of establishing relationships with esteemed retailers, newspaper ads, and mail, the recognition of quality work and watchmaking acumen would have been much less influenced by outside entities. 

Graves Jr.’s interest drove him to collect masterpieces from George Graham, Thomas Tompion and many more names that warrant the highest prestige. Yet one of the more recognizable watch names associated with Graves Jr. was Vacheron Constantin. Before Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin were anointed as part of watchmaking’s “Holy Trinity”, both Graves Jr. and Packard were able to recognize manufacturers capable of creating instruments of the highest complexity. It is fair to say the collectors played a vital role in establishing the reputation the two companies enjoy to this day. Perman adds interesting context to the discussion of provenance within the world of horology. We are often fascinated by who wore a watch, whether it be a celebrity, photographs from the past, or a public sale at auction. Yet it is not only the collectors who seek to elevate their status associated with popular figures, but also the watchmakers themselves. In an interesting turn of events, the folklore surrounding one First Prize Observatory tourbillon chronometer exemplifies this.

First Prize Observatory tourbillon chronometer

Complicated Vacheron Constantin Timepiece Movement 415946 | Credit: The Hour Lounge

Correspondence in 1928 with Vacheron indicates that a First Prize Chronometer at the Geneva Observatory was sold to Graves Jr. on a trip to Europe. During the 1990s, while the reputation of both collectors was gaining momentum, talk of Graves' Vacheron Constantin began to circulate. At Sotheby’s 2002 ‘Property from the Estate of Esmond Bradley Martin’ auction, a First Prize Chronometer from the manufacturer sold for $295,000. The aftermath of this sale allegedly involved various trades for larger amounts. Rumor had it that the watch had belonged to the prominent collector, and that it had even featured the Graves coat of arms. Eventually, Vacheron Constantin stepped in and paid a reported $2 million bounty to secure the watch. However, sometime after the Sotheby’s sale, contention surrounding the claims of the Graves coat of arms began to develop: some stated that it was manipulated, others that it was never observed. Nevertheless, Perman’s correspondence with a Vacheron representative indicated the timepiece “was destined for Henry Graves Jr., but Vacheron Constantin finally kept it for communication/promotion purposes” and acknowledged the watch was sold in the 1950s without Graves' coat of arms. Additionally, the lot essay indicates that the controversial watch actually won first place six years after the recorded 1928 rendezvous. While the purported engraving and/or disappearance cannot be accounted for, it is worth mentioning that at the time of the Sotheby’s auction, there was no indication of provenance and it certainly would have been a noteworthy feature to both the auction house and bidders.

The next chapter

All of this raises the question as to the current whereabouts of the 1928 Vacheron Constantin with movement number 401562 (the confirmed Vacheron that was ordered by Henry Graves Jr. that has never surfaced publicly). This mystery illustrates how much is still to be learned about Graves Jr. and Packard, particularly by studying some of the lesser known pieces from their collections.

Another such mystery is the Patek Philippe “mystery box”, a box from the manufacturer customized for Graves Jr. It’s an empty box, containing only papers with case and movement numbers, as well as drawings for a complicated astronomical watch. The box is identical in size and shape to the box in which the Graves Supercomplication was delivered to the collector. Despite directly being told by the late Pete Fullerton (the grandson of Henry Graves Jr. and a prolific watch collector in his own right) that the mysterious Patek Philippe watch belonging to this box does not exist, John Reardon remains adamantly optimistic of finding such lost treasures.

These artifacts, whether lost to time or waiting to be discovered, give the watch community something to anxiously hope for. Perhaps the next chapter is just waiting to be written. Only time will tell.

The Patek Philippe Henry Graves Jr. Mystery Box | Credit: Eric Wind of Wind Vintage

When asked about the impact A Grand Complication has had on elevating the collections of Packard and Graves Jr., Reardon said: "Stacy Perman is without a doubt one of the best writers in the world today. Her ability to research, ask the right questions, and dig deep into the heart of a question is brilliantly reflected in her work. A Grand Complication delves into the minds of two of the greatest watch collectors of the 20th century, James Ward Packard and Henry Graves, Jr. Her words eloquently entertain as she introduces the reader into another world of wealth, privilege, and obsession.”

A Grand Complication: The Race to Build the World’s Most Legendary Watch by Stacy Perman is available to purchase here, and on Amazon.

Acknowledgments:

I would first like to acknowledge the wonderful work of Stacy Perman. This book is an absolute must read for anyone who has the slightest fascination with Patek Philippe, or a casual interest in watches for that matter. Additionally, a huge thank you goes out to Eric Wind for recommending this book in late 2019. The constant encouragement and guidance is sincerely appreciated. This article could not have been completed without the incredible support and guidance from John Reardon. His passion for all things Patek Philippe has truly elevated the brand. I am humbled by the enthusiasm he has shown in my interest to learn. Lastly, a huge acknowledgement to Tony and Rescapement. I’m extremely honored to have a cameo on his platform.