Patek Philippe's mid-century catalogue contains some remarkably adventurous shaped watches, and the ref. 2456 is among the most architecturally distinctive. Introduced around 1949, the model is often referred to as the “Hour Glass” for the dramatic concave profile created by the opposing curves of its case. At approximately 40mm long but only 21mm wide, its elongated proportions and sculptural 18K yellow gold construction demonstrate just how experimental Patek Philippe's designers could be during an era more commonly associated with restrained round dress watches.

Dating to 1950, the present ref. 2456J pairs this unusual case with a silver dial that has aged to a cream tone, featuring applied gold hour markers, elegant hands and subsidiary seconds at 6 o'clock. Inside is the manually wound calibre 9-90, Patek Philippe's celebrated rectangular movement and a natural choice for the elongated architecture of the reference. A personal engraving to the case back provides a tangible connection to the watch's original history, while an accompanying Extract from the Archives further documents this particularly characterful example of post-war Patek Philippe design.