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Lot Essay
Reference 3651 is undeniably among Patek Philippe's least known and most mysterious models. The rarity of the present watch is even further enhanced by its excellent overall condition. Evidently hardly used, it impresses by the full proportions of its massive case and the sharp angles to the bezel, lugs and screw back. The oxidation traces testify that it has spent a considerable amount of time locked away and unused. The dial has likewise never been subject to restoration, displaying a great shine and perfectly raised signatures and scales.
Although it is thought that 12 pieces of reference 3651 were made, over a period of more than twenty years, only three examples of this ultra-rare chronograph have ever appeared on the open market:
Case no. 2'839'142: Christie's Geneva 15 November 2010, lot 109, sold for CHF243,000. Movement made in 1952, case changed during a servicing at Patek Philippe in 1988.
Case no. 2'839'143
Case no. 2'839'144: The present watch. Movement made in 1944, case changed during a servicing at Patek Philippe in 1988. Unknown to the market until 2014.
Even though reference 1463 is generally viewed as Patek Philippe's only screw back and round pusher simple chronograph wristwatch, reference 3651 clearly belongs to the same category. It is unknown when exactly its production was launched and how many examples were made. However since cases numbers 2'839'142 and 2'839'144 were both changed in 1988 in the workshops of Patek Philippe one can safely date the creation to the late 1980s, the age of the revival of complicated mechanical timepieces. Whereas most manufacturers had only just begun reinvesting in skilled craftsmen and machines for the production of complex hand-wound watches, Patek Philippe had kept their talented master watchmakers and tools throughout the quartz years, proven by the existence of references 3448 and 2499. The latter two being perpetual calendar wristwatches it is a fact that no simple chronograph wristwatch had been in their catalogues since the late 1960s.
One may speculate about the reasons behind the creation of reference 3651 in such a small number, possibly a special demand by one of the firm's longstanding clients or a commercial initiative to offer a second "simple" chronograph model in a more modern looking waterproof case but reference 3651 is undeniably the logical successor of reference 1463 which had been in production for nearly three decades. As shown in references 3450 and 2499/100, the 1980s designs were distinguished by more massive and straightforward look, sapphire crystals replacing plexiglass. Since production of the "simple" 13 lignes movement had ceased decades earlier, Patek Philippe had to use movements of existing watches made in the 1940s and 50s, either provided by customers wishing to upgrade their chronographs or assembled with existing spare parts. As a consequence, the number of reference 3651 chronographs made must have been extremely low. The only three reference 3651 that have appeared in public bear consecutive case numbers, 2'839'142, 2'839'143 and 2'839'144. Therefore, in the absence of any further known examples, it can be concluded that with the discovery of the present watch in 2014, the last one of the series, the only examples of reference 3651 ever made are probably now all accounted for.
The combination of its extraordinary rarity, mysterious history, superb condition and private provenance render this reference 3651 a "must have" for the collector of exceptional timepieces.
Ref. 3651 is illustrated in: Blue Book 1, by
Eric Tortella, 2018 edition, pp. 392-393
Although it is thought that 12 pieces of reference 3651 were made, over a period of more than twenty years, only three examples of this ultra-rare chronograph have ever appeared on the open market:
Case no. 2'839'142: Christie's Geneva 15 November 2010, lot 109, sold for CHF243,000. Movement made in 1952, case changed during a servicing at Patek Philippe in 1988.
Case no. 2'839'143
Case no. 2'839'144: The present watch. Movement made in 1944, case changed during a servicing at Patek Philippe in 1988. Unknown to the market until 2014.
Even though reference 1463 is generally viewed as Patek Philippe's only screw back and round pusher simple chronograph wristwatch, reference 3651 clearly belongs to the same category. It is unknown when exactly its production was launched and how many examples were made. However since cases numbers 2'839'142 and 2'839'144 were both changed in 1988 in the workshops of Patek Philippe one can safely date the creation to the late 1980s, the age of the revival of complicated mechanical timepieces. Whereas most manufacturers had only just begun reinvesting in skilled craftsmen and machines for the production of complex hand-wound watches, Patek Philippe had kept their talented master watchmakers and tools throughout the quartz years, proven by the existence of references 3448 and 2499. The latter two being perpetual calendar wristwatches it is a fact that no simple chronograph wristwatch had been in their catalogues since the late 1960s.
One may speculate about the reasons behind the creation of reference 3651 in such a small number, possibly a special demand by one of the firm's longstanding clients or a commercial initiative to offer a second "simple" chronograph model in a more modern looking waterproof case but reference 3651 is undeniably the logical successor of reference 1463 which had been in production for nearly three decades. As shown in references 3450 and 2499/100, the 1980s designs were distinguished by more massive and straightforward look, sapphire crystals replacing plexiglass. Since production of the "simple" 13 lignes movement had ceased decades earlier, Patek Philippe had to use movements of existing watches made in the 1940s and 50s, either provided by customers wishing to upgrade their chronographs or assembled with existing spare parts. As a consequence, the number of reference 3651 chronographs made must have been extremely low. The only three reference 3651 that have appeared in public bear consecutive case numbers, 2'839'142, 2'839'143 and 2'839'144. Therefore, in the absence of any further known examples, it can be concluded that with the discovery of the present watch in 2014, the last one of the series, the only examples of reference 3651 ever made are probably now all accounted for.
The combination of its extraordinary rarity, mysterious history, superb condition and private provenance render this reference 3651 a "must have" for the collector of exceptional timepieces.
Ref. 3651 is illustrated in: Blue Book 1, by
Eric Tortella, 2018 edition, pp. 392-393