Patek Philippe Pocket Watch Lepine Japanese Carp by Moonlight Ref. 992/174J

The Patek Philippe Pocket Watch 992/174J is a unique piece created for the 2023 Patek Philippe Tokyo exhibition. The decoration of this unique piece in grisaille enamel au blanc de Limoges drew inspiration from the Japanese “inrō”: the small lacquer case suspended from the sash of a gentleman’s kimono. The water, the grasshopper and the moon were delicately sculpted in the dense white enamel known as blanc de Limoges using a tiny brush and a needle on a ground of dark chestnut brown translucent enamel. By the same exacting technique, the enameller then produced the carp in green gold, the bamboo stalk in white gold and the background decoration in yellow gold. In total, the picture required 13 firings at temperatures ranging from 780°C to 600°C. The dial in opaque black Grand Feu enamel is adorned with applied Breguet numerals, leaf-shaped hands and a small-seconds counter, all in yellow gold. A black spinel cabochon (0.35 ct) decorates the crown.