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Patek Philippe. A very fine and rare 18K gold automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases

Signed Patek Philippe, Genève, ref. 3448, movement no. 1’119’167, case no. 325’523, manufactured in 1971

Details

Patek Philippe. A very fine and rare 18K gold automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases
Signed Patek Philippe, Genève, ref. 3448, movement no. 1’119’167, case no. 325’523, manufactured in 1971
MOVEMENT: automatic, cal. 27-460 Q, stamped with the Geneva seal, 37 jewels
DIAL: matte silvered, applied gold baton and square numerals, minute divisions, window for day and month, subsidiary dial for date combined with moon phases
CASE: 18K yellow gold, enlarged bezel, downturned lugs, snap on back
SIGNED: case, dial and movement
BUCKLE: 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe buckle
ACCOMPANIED BY: Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming the production of the present watch in 1971 and its subsequent sale on 3rd February 1971

Special Notice

On lots marked with an + in the catalogue, VAT will be charged at 8% on both the premium as well as the hammer price. Many of the watches offered for sale in this catalogue are pictured with straps made of endangered or protected animal materials such as alligator or crocodile. These endangered species straps are shown for display purposes only and are not for sale. Christie’s will remove and retain the strap prior to shipment from the sale site. At some sale sites, Christie’s may, at its discretion, make the displayed endangered species strap available to the buyer of the lot free of charge if collected in person from the sale site within 1 year of the date of the sale. Please check with the department for details on a particular lot.

Lot Essay

The presently offered timepiece is a beautiful example of the reference 3448 bearing the typical dial with a dense printed signature which appeared on models sold after 1971. Indeed, the present watch was probably one of the very first pieces produced with this new dial as it was sold on February 1971. The date font around the moon-phase aperture is also recognizable and turns upside down at 9 and 25 to facilitate the date’s lecture.

Reference 3448, introduced into the market in 1962, was at the time the first self-winding perpetual calendar wristwatch. According to literature, a total of 586 examples were made, the majority in yellow gold cases. Few watches have been cased in white gold and only two examples in platinum are known to date.

Reference 3448 was fitted with the celebrated calibre 27-460, amongst the most sophisticated and lavish automatic movements ever made. It was later upgraded with Patek Philippe's patented perpetual calendar mechanism fitted on the movement plate underneath the dial and renamed 27-460 Q.

Reference 3448 is illustrated in Patek Philippe Wristwatches by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, second edition, p. 288 and in Ore d'Oro by Jader Barracca, Giampiero Negretti and Franco Nencini, p. 45.

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