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Lot Essay
Launched in 1985 and discontinued in 2007, the reference 3940 has always been a revered timepiece by collectors and is a significant reference in the modern history of Patek Philippe. The 3940’s reputation is further enhanced by the fact that the then head of the company, Philippe Stern, chose to wear the model as his everyday watch.
The present model represents the fourth and last series of the reference 3940. It is distinguished by the larger and bold 'Patek Philippe Geneve' text, such as seen in the third series, but now the 'σ Swiss σ' is in line with the minute pearls, rather than below them.
Reference 3940
The Reference 3940 and its sister reference (the Ref. 3970 perpetual calendar chronograph) were launched in the mid-1980s, at a time when few complicated wristwatches were available and the mechanical watch renaissance wasn’t entirely underway.
The watch was incredibly slim at 9 mm., thanks to the Cal. 240-Q movement with a 22k gold micro-rotor. The design of the dials, in line with many Patek Philippe references, has evolved over the 20 years of production resulting in four clearly defined series and some rare variations.
The present model represents the fourth and last series of the reference 3940. It is distinguished by the larger and bold 'Patek Philippe Geneve' text, such as seen in the third series, but now the 'σ Swiss σ' is in line with the minute pearls, rather than below them.
Reference 3940
The Reference 3940 and its sister reference (the Ref. 3970 perpetual calendar chronograph) were launched in the mid-1980s, at a time when few complicated wristwatches were available and the mechanical watch renaissance wasn’t entirely underway.
The watch was incredibly slim at 9 mm., thanks to the Cal. 240-Q movement with a 22k gold micro-rotor. The design of the dials, in line with many Patek Philippe references, has evolved over the 20 years of production resulting in four clearly defined series and some rare variations.