Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Hotel Du Rhone, Apr 02, 2006

LOT 517

?A Unique Ref. 3448, Red Leap Year Indication? Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, No. 1119581, case No. 332621, Ref. 3448. Made in 1981. Sold in July 15th 1981. Very fine and very rare, astronomic, self-winding, 18K white gold gentleman's wristwatch with perpetual calendar, moon phases, leap year indication, and an 18K white gold five-row link Patek Philippe integrated chain bracelet. Accompanied by the Extract from the Archives and a letter from Patek Philippe attesting to the authenticity of this watch.

CHF 0 - 0

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C. Three-body, solid, polished and brushed, inclined bezel, hidden lugs. D. Matte silver with applied white gold bâton and pyramidal indexes, graduation for the days of the month, apertures for the days of the week, the months and the moon phases. White gold "Dauphine" hands. M. Cal. 27-460 Q, stamped twice with the Seal of Geneva Quality Mark, rhodium-plated, "fausses-côtes" decoration, 37 jewels, straight line lever escapement, Gyromax balance adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, shock-absorber, self-compensating free-sprung balance-spring, 18K gold rotor. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 37 mm. Thickness 11 mm. Approx. overall length 200 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3-01

Good

HANDS Original

Notes

A similar watch without leap year indication is published in ?Collecting Patek Philippe Wristwatches?, vol. 1, Osvaldo Patrizzi, Mondani Editions, 2005, page 71. This watch was previously sold by Antiquorum, Geneva, ?The Art of Patek Philippe?, April 9, 1989, lot 62. The present watch was originally sold with a leather strap. At the special request of the customer, Patek Philippe fitted a white gold integral bracelet, a bezel for the sapphire crystal, and added a leap year disc with red dot indication and a special dial. These modifications make this watch a unique and extremely important one for the collector. The letter ?Q?to the side of the word ?Swiss? at the lower edge of the dial is the Aprilor symbol. This symbol was designed to certify that the dial and indexes are made of 18K gold. In the second period, this symbol only indicates that the indexes are in 18K gold.

Ref. 3448
Produced in 586 examples from 1962 to 1982, with the caliber 27-460 Q, the majority in yellow gold, rarely in pink or white gold. This series began with the serial number 1119000. Six watches of this reference are known to exist without the moon phases. During the 50s and 60s gold bracelets were fitted between lugs by means of a spring bar and were sold separately, thus not changing the reference of the watch. At the beginning of the 70s a new fashion was launched and more watches were proposed with an integrated gold bracelet. The Patek Phillipe reference then changed with an additional number after the four first digits, as follows: 3448/3, or 3448/15, and so on, depending on the bracelet design.
Ref. 3450 Produced in 244 examples from 1981 to 1986 with the caliber 27-460 QPB, the majority in yellow gold, very few in pink or white gold. ? First series: leap year display in red on the dial. ? Second series: leap year display in Arabic numerals on the dial. Made in very few examples with sapphire crystal back. ? Third series: leap year display in Roman numerals on the dial.