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Lot Essay
Launched in 1985 and discontinued in 2007, the reference 3940 has always been a much-loved watch 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 timepiece is part of the very rare and coveted 'first series.' According to our research, approximately 1,300 pieces of reference 3940 'first series' were produced, of which only 82 in yellow gold are known to the market. First series examples feature flat, sunken subsidiary dials displaying the 24-hour and leap year indicators. Later series have a cross dividing the four sectors of the leap year indicator.
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 three clearly defined series and some rare variations.
The present timepiece is part of the very rare and coveted 'first series.' According to our research, approximately 1,300 pieces of reference 3940 'first series' were produced, of which only 82 in yellow gold are known to the market. First series examples feature flat, sunken subsidiary dials displaying the 24-hour and leap year indicators. Later series have a cross dividing the four sectors of the leap year indicator.
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 three clearly defined series and some rare variations.