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Rare large 35mm 18k Yellow Gold PATEK PHILIPPE Calatrava Wristwatch, Ref. 1596, Cal. 12-120, Case SN: 510981, Movement SN: 963202, made in the early 1950s and belonged to D. Antonio Lamaro, famous Italian entrepreneur and visionary real estate developer, who – frustrated by Barcelona’s lack of quality lodging – built his own five-star Hotel Colón (later Lamaro Hotel), directly opposite the Cathedral of Barcelona, ensuring he always had a room in the city he cherished.
The rare Ref. 1596, with its large and elegant yellow gold case, features striking overhanging lugs, a dial with applied Breguet numerals (Dial SN: 93 3020), leaf hands, a black leather strap, and the correct AW buckle — already a prized combination for any Patek Philippe collector. What makes this piece truly exceptional, however, is its engraved caseback: “A D. ANTONIO LAMARO LOS INDUSTRIALES DEL HOTEL COLON BARCELONA JUNIO DE 1951” — a dedication from the hotel’s builders (“the industrious ones”) to Lamaro, presented at the hotel’s inauguration.
Lamaro secured one of the most prestigious locations in Barcelona — directly facing the city’s Gothic cathedral. The Hotel Colón soon became a landmark of elegance and modernity, with panoramic cathedral views from many rooms. Under Lamaro’s ownership, it welcomed cultural icons such as Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Jean-Paul Sartre, Sophia Loren, Jane Fonda, and Francis Ford Coppola. Most notably, Joan Miró made the hotel his long-term residence throughout the 1960s and early 1970s. The presence of such figures reflects Lamaro’s ambition to create more than a hotel — a cultural and artistic haven at the heart of postwar Barcelona. His work exemplified architectural ambition, international vision, and a commitment to excellence — values echoed in the legacy of this extraordinary timepiece.
C. Two-body, solid, polished, overhanging lugs, rounded band, snap-on case back. D. Silver with applied yellow gold Arabic Breguet numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary dial for the seconds. Gold baton hands. M. Cal. 12”’- 120, rhodium-plated, fausses cotes decoration, straight line lever escapement, cut bi-metallic balance, blued steel Breguet balance-spring, swan-neck micrometer regulator. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 35 mm. Thickness 8.5 mm.
Watch is in overall good condition 7/10, running and ready to wear!