Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Du Rhône, Oct 15, 2006

LOT 430

?150th Anniversary Minute Repeater? Patek Philippe, Genève, No. 1904046, case no. 2906847, Ref. 3979, made circa 1989. Very fine self-winding, minute repeating, 18K yellow gold gentleman's wristwatch with sapphire crystal back and 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe buckle. Accompanied by a fitted box, a certificate of origin and an additional gold back.

CHF 320,000 - 360,000

EUR 200,000 - 230,000 / USD 260,000 - 300,000

Sold: CHF 345,000

C. Three body, massive, polished, inclined bezel. D. White porcelain dial with painted radial Roman numerals, auxiliary second dial. "Feuille" blued steel hands. M. Cal. R 27 PS, stamped with the Geneva Quality Mark, rhodium plated, "fausses côtes" decoration, 39 jewels, lever escapement, Giromax balance adjusted for heat, cold isochronism and 5 positions, shock-absorber, free-sprung self-compensating balance-spring, 22K gold rotor, repeating on gongs activated by a slide on the band. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 33 mm. Thickness 10 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2

Very good
Movement: 2

Very good
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

A similar watch is published in ?Collecting Patek Philippe Wristwatches? by Osvaldo Patrizzi, Guido Mondani Editore, 2004, vol. II, p. 272. Ref. 3979 This series was produced in yellow gold and a few examples in white gold. Production began in 1989 with the calibre R 27 P.S., featuring 342 components and bearing the serial number 1904000. Production of this Reference ceased in 1998; it was replaced by Ref. 5979. It is a technical exploit to incorporate in a 12 1/2''' movement a micro-rotor oscillating mass together with a minute-repeating mechanism. The first watch of this Ref. 3979 is illustrated in Patek Philippe Wristwatches, by Martin Huber and Alan Banbery, 1998 Edition, p. 320.