97th Auction

2018/5/12

Lot 329

Patek Philippe Genève, Movement No. 1906003, Case No. 2865059, Ref. 3974, Cal. 27RQ Rep., 37 mm, circa 1989
An important, rare and very fine automatic Geneva minute repeating wristwatch with perpetual calendar, leap year indication and moon phase - sold on November 7th, 1989. To the best of our knowledge no more than approximately 30 yellow gold examples of this reference were produced. With original mahogany box, watchwinder, original certificate, operating instructions, brochures, setting pin, additional 18k gold push back and Patek Philippe leather envelope
Case: 18k gold, glazed push back, slide for repeating mechanism, 18k gold Patek Philippe buckle, punch mark "JPH" (Jean-Pierre Hagmann). Dial: opaline-silvered, applied gold indexes, 24h indicator, moon phase, day, date, month and leap year indicator, cobalt blue enamelled moon phase disc with inlaid golden moon and stars, gold dauphine hands. Movm.: 22k gold microrotor movement, rhodium-plated, "fausses côtes" decoration, 8 adj., 39 jewels, 2 hammers / 2 gongs, Geneva quality hallmark, Gyromax balance.
The very rare and highly sought-after wristwatches of Patek Philippe's reference 3974 were produced from 1989 until about 2000 and have benchmark status in the history of the Grande Complications. Reference 3974 was the first automatic wristwatch with minute repetition.
The model was launched on the 150 anniversary of Patek Philippe and only available as a small edition in yellow and white gold with a few examples in pink gold and platinum. At the time of its introduction the watch was considered the most complicated wristwatch in the world.
Reference 3974 is equipped with calibre 27RQ that consists of 467 individual parts, with a movement height of only 6.8 mm. The movement is a technical masterpiece fitted in the smallest of spaces, with an oscillating mass driven by a micro-rotor, a minute repeating mechanism and a perpetual calendar.
The serial numbers start at 1906000, which makes this example the fourth watch of the series - and it has never before been presented at an auction! It has hardly ever been worn - we can assume that this watch has spent most of its life safely in the vault of the original owner. For this reason, service at Patek Philippe is indispensable.
The initials of legendary case maker Jean-Pierre Hagmann are inscribed on the back of one of the lugs and on the solid gold push back. Patek Philippe turned to this maker for particularly small and highly complex case designs. Hagmann is not only known for his incredible craftsmanship but also for the cases he created specially for watches with repeaters, which are considered to be the best in their field.

Sold

estimated
200.000300.000 €
Price realized
310.000 €