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Lot Essay
Accompanied by Patek Philippe Certificat d'Identité et Garantie d'Origine dated 11 May 1976 and Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch in 1975 and its subsequent sale on 8 March 1976. Furthermore delivered with Patek Philippe period information leaflet and sales brochure.
The present watch has never been offered at auction before and is only the second example of reference 3448 in white gold featuring a luminous dial to appear in public to date.
This watch was bought by the original owner from one of Patek Philippe's retailer in Italy and has remained in the family since. It is thought that the luminous accents to the top of the baton numerals as well as the luminous dauphine hands were added upon his request.
The combination of the luminescent dial, freshness to the market, excellent original condition and the fact that original certificate and brochures are still available render this watch highly appealing to the demanding collector.
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 was 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 mechanism fitted on the movement plate underneath the dial and renamed 27-460 Q. In 1981, reference 3450 was introduced into the market with the improved 27'460 QB (Quantième Bissextile) calibre. The model differs from its predecessor by the modified leap year indication, the eccentric small window to 4 o'clock. The first series was made with a simple red disk and Arabic numerals, the second with Roman I, II, III and IV leap year indication.
A total of 244 examples of reference 3450 were made, the majority in yellow gold cases, only two in white gold are known to date.
Production of both reference 3448 and 3450 was discontinued in 1985 when reference 3940 was launched.
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.
The present watch has never been offered at auction before and is only the second example of reference 3448 in white gold featuring a luminous dial to appear in public to date.
This watch was bought by the original owner from one of Patek Philippe's retailer in Italy and has remained in the family since. It is thought that the luminous accents to the top of the baton numerals as well as the luminous dauphine hands were added upon his request.
The combination of the luminescent dial, freshness to the market, excellent original condition and the fact that original certificate and brochures are still available render this watch highly appealing to the demanding collector.
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 was 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 mechanism fitted on the movement plate underneath the dial and renamed 27-460 Q. In 1981, reference 3450 was introduced into the market with the improved 27'460 QB (Quantième Bissextile) calibre. The model differs from its predecessor by the modified leap year indication, the eccentric small window to 4 o'clock. The first series was made with a simple red disk and Arabic numerals, the second with Roman I, II, III and IV leap year indication.
A total of 244 examples of reference 3450 were made, the majority in yellow gold cases, only two in white gold are known to date.
Production of both reference 3448 and 3450 was discontinued in 1985 when reference 3940 was launched.
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.