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Lot Essay
The endangered species strap is shown for display purpose only and is not for sale. Should you wish to export the lot, Christie’s will have to unseal the watch and remove the strap.
This exquisitely beautiful timepiece, is one of the fabled set of four special edition reference 3970s developed exclusively for the reopening of Patek Philippe’s Geneva Salons in November 2006. Over the last almost 20 years since the set’s creation, few collectors were aware of their existence and even fewer have ever had the privilege to see them in person. Along with its three equally awesome companion watches, the present exceptional yellow gold reference 3970EJ-020 is unquestionably one of the most exclusive and important representations of the 3970 in existence, the perfect blend of mechanical complexity, dial exclusivity, and rare case metal.
To the best of our knowledge, the present watch is only the second example of its kind to be offered at international auction in over a decade.
The set of four special edition 3970s each feature a unique dial colour developed exclusively for the set and corresponding to the respective type of precious metal case. All four dials are distinguished by their full Breguet numerals - in itself one of the most sought-after and rare configurations among all reference 3970. The full set of four watches was produced for and sold directly from Patek Philippe's own Geneva boutique by invitation only to their most important and loyal international collectors. Although the exact number of sets produced is unconfirmed, it is thought to be as few as four.
The exceptional standout feature of the present timepiece is the ravishing exclusively developed ‘Dore’ or golden dial with contrasting yellow gold full Breguet numerals. It offers a completely different and highly appealing aesthetic compared to the production models of the 3970. Sold in May 2007, the production of the present timepiece post-dates the end of the reference 3970 series by around two years, which concluded in 2004. With characteristics of a 4th series 3970, including seven-digit movement and case numbers, the watches from this edition and a handful of other special-order, out-of-series watches were occasionally sanctioned after the production of the reference had officially ended. Such ‘out of series’ late production watches are absolutely fascinating for collectors and are among the rarest pieces of any reference.
This superlative watch offers collectors the opportunity to obtain one of the most highly significant specimens of reference 3970, regarded as one of the all-time great Patek Philippe classics.
This exquisitely beautiful timepiece, is one of the fabled set of four special edition reference 3970s developed exclusively for the reopening of Patek Philippe’s Geneva Salons in November 2006. Over the last almost 20 years since the set’s creation, few collectors were aware of their existence and even fewer have ever had the privilege to see them in person. Along with its three equally awesome companion watches, the present exceptional yellow gold reference 3970EJ-020 is unquestionably one of the most exclusive and important representations of the 3970 in existence, the perfect blend of mechanical complexity, dial exclusivity, and rare case metal.
To the best of our knowledge, the present watch is only the second example of its kind to be offered at international auction in over a decade.
The set of four special edition 3970s each feature a unique dial colour developed exclusively for the set and corresponding to the respective type of precious metal case. All four dials are distinguished by their full Breguet numerals - in itself one of the most sought-after and rare configurations among all reference 3970. The full set of four watches was produced for and sold directly from Patek Philippe's own Geneva boutique by invitation only to their most important and loyal international collectors. Although the exact number of sets produced is unconfirmed, it is thought to be as few as four.
The exceptional standout feature of the present timepiece is the ravishing exclusively developed ‘Dore’ or golden dial with contrasting yellow gold full Breguet numerals. It offers a completely different and highly appealing aesthetic compared to the production models of the 3970. Sold in May 2007, the production of the present timepiece post-dates the end of the reference 3970 series by around two years, which concluded in 2004. With characteristics of a 4th series 3970, including seven-digit movement and case numbers, the watches from this edition and a handful of other special-order, out-of-series watches were occasionally sanctioned after the production of the reference had officially ended. Such ‘out of series’ late production watches are absolutely fascinating for collectors and are among the rarest pieces of any reference.
This superlative watch offers collectors the opportunity to obtain one of the most highly significant specimens of reference 3970, regarded as one of the all-time great Patek Philippe classics.