Benzinger ONE: Patek for Tiffany, the finished timepiece

The Benzinger ONE project is complete. The making can be followed step by step: the first fitting, the design, the first parts finished by hand, the main plate, the skeleton and dial and the galvanic finish.

After an enormous amount of hand guilloché, hand engraving and hand skeletonising, the result is very different from the original Patek Philippe movement, with many details to discover. The movement dates from about 1920 and was made by Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co. A watch like this is comparable to a tailor-made suit: the engraving is done by hand, the guilloché is made as it was a hundred years ago, and the skeleton is cut by hand.

The naked Patek Philippe movement fitted into the case at the first fitting, before finishing — The movement at the first fitting, before finishing

Back of the finished timepiece showing the skeletonised, engraved and guilloché movement — The finished movement, seen from the back

Close view of the Patek Calatrava cross, engraved by hand and gilded in pink gold — The Calatrava cross, hand-engraved and gilded in pink gold

Barrel with guilloché and a Maltese cross, finished in dark grey and pink gold — The barrel, guilloché by hand like the other parts, with its Maltese cross

Bridge holding the balance, seen from the dial side, with a hand-engraved pattern — The balance bridge, seen from the dial side

Dial side with blued hands from the same period — Hands from the same period, flame-blued

Design sheet beside the finished watch on its black strap — The design and the final result

All the original engravings were left in place and filled with black lacquer for contrast.

Original “Made for Tiffany & Co. by Patek Philippe & Co.” engraving on the guilloché plate — The original engraving, filled with black lacquer

Original engravings reading twenty jewels and eight adjustments beside a guilloché plate — Original engravings: twenty jewels, eight adjustments

Balance cock with a hand-engraved pattern and the original “slow” and “fast” engraving — The balance cock, hand-engraved, with the original slow and fast marking

This is the last Benzinger ONE; only six were made. Further projects will follow together with Grieb & Benzinger, under the names Ferum, Aurum and Platinum. See Grieb & Benzinger or get in touch.

The watch is shown with the permission of the client.

Benzinger ONE, Patek Philippe for Tiffany & Co.: the finished timepiece