This watch recently underwent a full and comprehensive restoration at Patek Philippe in Geneva at a cost of 17000 Swiss Francs. It was necessary to re-make the entire upper part of the case as well as complete service of the movement and restoration of the dial. Not surprisingly it is now in extremely good condition and is probably one of the very few watches of this period to have had a partially new case made in the Patek Philippe workshops. Never offered at auction before and only the second example in steel ever to be offered at auction the reference 491 is an extremely rare large and elegant Art Deco design. It is thought than less than 5 examples in steel have survived until today.