Important Collectors’ Wristwatches, P...

New York - The Fuller Building, Mar 28, 2007

LOT 287

"Minute Repeater" Patek Philippe & Cie, Genève, No 1904062, case No. 2906852, Ref. 3979 H. Sold on August 16, 1998. Very fine and rare, minute repeating, self-winding, 18K yellow gold gentleman's wristwatch with an 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe buckle. Accompanied by a fitted box, Certificate of Origin and a spare solid 18K gold back.

USD 230,000 - 270,000

EUR 175,000 - 205,000

Sold: USD 254,800

C. Three-body, solid, polished, inclined bezel, concave lugs, transparent case back, sapphire crystals. D. White enamel with painted radial Roman numerals, outer minute track, sunk subsidiary seconds dial. Burnished gold "feuille" hands. M. Cal. R 27 PS, stamped with the Seal of Geneva quality mark, rhodium-plated, "fausses-côtes" decoration, 39 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, Gyromax balance adjusted for heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, shock absorber, free-sprung self-compensating balance spring, 22K gold microrotor, repeating on gongs by activating a slide on the band. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 33 mm. Thickness 11 mm.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Grade:
Case: 1

As new
Movement: 1

As new
Dial: 1-01

As new

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, in pink gold, and in platinum. 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.