While their skill and craftsmanship across nearly two centuries of watchmaking is undoubtedly what has earned them their esteemed reputation as a company, Patek Philippe often dabbles in other endeavors that give the company the ability to extend that same craftsmanship onto other products, much like this rings, cufflink sets, and lighters as we have here. Made of 18kt yellow gold and green enamel, Patek commissioned Colibri, the French manufacturer of high quality gas lighters, in 1978 to create a collection of around six different lighter variants, each with different decoration, that all paid homage to the Golden Ellipse collection. Offered only briefly for a handful of years, these lighters have become tremendously collectible in and of themselves given their impressive craftsmanship. Inspired by Patek's famed Golden Ellipse collection, these lighters sport a rounded rectangular shape that echoes the Golden Ellipse’s case. Made form a solid lump of 18kt yellow gold and featuring green enamel, the example we have here is the ref. 9508.

Lighter is in overall excellent condition. The yellow gold case shows surface scratches and light marks, while all engravings and stamps remain crisp. There is a boat engraved on the plaque. The top of lighter rests with a slight gap and the hinge may need to be adjusted/repaired. Please note the green enamel has been repaired/redone on the lighter to a very high quality level, but it is not original. It is currently in non-working condition.

An exceptionally rare piece of horological history, this Golden Ellipse lighter harks back to a time when Patek would create some of the finest watch-related accessories the industry had ever seen.