.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Consigned by a private collector, this reference 3940 has never been offered in public before.
Reference 3940, the quintessential perpetual calendar and distinguished by its timeless elegance, is undeniably amongst Patek Philippe's greatest classics. Launched in 1984 as replacement for reference 3450, it was at the time the slimmest automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch.
The present watch is part of the first series produced by Patek Philippe for only three years. It represents less than 20% of the total production of reference 3940. The main design variants between earlier and later series include sunken subsidiary dials as opposed to the rather beveled version and a plain leap year dial rather than the one with the quarter separations. Earlier models featured a smaller signature, the designation "Swiss" was printed underneath the beady minute divisions. This was changed in later series with the "Swiss" printing within the ring.
An initial series of around 100 pieces were manufactured between 1984 and 1985, the first 25 were especially made for the 225nd anniversary of Patek Philippe's retailer Chronometrie Beyer in Zurich, numbered and personalized. Starting in 1985, reference 3940 went into standard production. Until the model's discontinuation in 2007 when it was replaced by reference 5140 three further series were produced.
Examples of reference 3940 are illustrated and described in Patek Philippe Museum - Patek Philippe Watches - Volume II, p. 300, and in Patek Philippe Wristwatches by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, second edition, pp 292 - 294.
Reference 3940, the quintessential perpetual calendar and distinguished by its timeless elegance, is undeniably amongst Patek Philippe's greatest classics. Launched in 1984 as replacement for reference 3450, it was at the time the slimmest automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch.
The present watch is part of the first series produced by Patek Philippe for only three years. It represents less than 20% of the total production of reference 3940. The main design variants between earlier and later series include sunken subsidiary dials as opposed to the rather beveled version and a plain leap year dial rather than the one with the quarter separations. Earlier models featured a smaller signature, the designation "Swiss" was printed underneath the beady minute divisions. This was changed in later series with the "Swiss" printing within the ring.
An initial series of around 100 pieces were manufactured between 1984 and 1985, the first 25 were especially made for the 225nd anniversary of Patek Philippe's retailer Chronometrie Beyer in Zurich, numbered and personalized. Starting in 1985, reference 3940 went into standard production. Until the model's discontinuation in 2007 when it was replaced by reference 5140 three further series were produced.
Examples of reference 3940 are illustrated and described in Patek Philippe Museum - Patek Philippe Watches - Volume II, p. 300, and in Patek Philippe Wristwatches by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, second edition, pp 292 - 294.