.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
The Donzé Enamel Dial
A close inspection of the dial reveals that the under 6 o’clock the Swiss has a triangle, or delta, on each side in black enamel. It is known that 3939 enamel dials from this period were made by Donzé Cadrans S.A. in Le Locle, Switzerland. The surprising element of this dial is that it is believed that Donzé placed the ‘Delta’ triangles on the dial as a sort of secret signature of his work, D for Delta for Donzé. These marks are easily mistaken for the APRIOR, or sigma marks, seen on dials made with gold elements. Interestingly, the 3939 dials were made with gold base plates but did not have the APRIOR mark.
Master Enameller Francis Donzé started his family company in 1972 and his niche business soon became a supplier of enamel dials to many of the most important watchmaking companies in the world, in particular Patek Philippe. In 1987, Mr. Donzé retired and his family continued the business of traditional enamel dial making. In 2012, Ulysse Nardin acquired Donzé Cadrans.
Case
With a case made by Ateliers Reunis (Geneva Key 28), the watch is a masterpiece of late 20th century watchmaking combining traditional case and dial making techniques with the complications of a minute repeater and a tourbillon. The sound that this 33 mm makes is much richer and louder than almost any modern wristwatch repeater, perhaps due to the reverberation of the sound from the enamel dial.
Minute Repeater
The minute repeater was believed to have been invented in the mid-1680s by Englishman Daniel Quare. Before the days of electricity, it allowed the wearer to tell the time in the dark. In this age of technology, minute repeaters still involve an exacting level of craftsmanship. It is often said that the maker of a minute repeater requires the ear of a musician and the hand of a surgeon.
Reference 3939
Patek Philippe introduced the reference 3939 in 1993 in yellow, white and pink gold models. A platinum version was released the following year and discontinued in 2011. This complicated timepiece is exemplary of the master craftsmanship of Patek Philippe, not only because it consists of a total of 336 parts but it also houses both minute repeating and tourbillon functions within a small case, classified by the calibre R 27 TO 27 PS.
One of the most elegant and understated of Patek Philippe’s Grand Complication timepieces of recent times, only around 200 pieces were ever made and approximately 75 examples were made in yellow gold during its production from 1992-2009.
One of the most elegant and subtle of the Patek Philippe grand complication timepieces, reference 3939 unites the sonorous charms of a two-gong minute repeater with the gravity-defying precision of a tourbillon escapement. In keeping with its eternal style, reference 3939 ignores the contemporary trend for larger dials, measuring 33 mm. in diameter, an achievement for such a technically sophisticated timepiece. This is also one of the very few Patek Philippe references to feature an enamel dial with with Breguet-style numerals.
A close inspection of the dial reveals that the under 6 o’clock the Swiss has a triangle, or delta, on each side in black enamel. It is known that 3939 enamel dials from this period were made by Donzé Cadrans S.A. in Le Locle, Switzerland. The surprising element of this dial is that it is believed that Donzé placed the ‘Delta’ triangles on the dial as a sort of secret signature of his work, D for Delta for Donzé. These marks are easily mistaken for the APRIOR, or sigma marks, seen on dials made with gold elements. Interestingly, the 3939 dials were made with gold base plates but did not have the APRIOR mark.
Master Enameller Francis Donzé started his family company in 1972 and his niche business soon became a supplier of enamel dials to many of the most important watchmaking companies in the world, in particular Patek Philippe. In 1987, Mr. Donzé retired and his family continued the business of traditional enamel dial making. In 2012, Ulysse Nardin acquired Donzé Cadrans.
Case
With a case made by Ateliers Reunis (Geneva Key 28), the watch is a masterpiece of late 20th century watchmaking combining traditional case and dial making techniques with the complications of a minute repeater and a tourbillon. The sound that this 33 mm makes is much richer and louder than almost any modern wristwatch repeater, perhaps due to the reverberation of the sound from the enamel dial.
Minute Repeater
The minute repeater was believed to have been invented in the mid-1680s by Englishman Daniel Quare. Before the days of electricity, it allowed the wearer to tell the time in the dark. In this age of technology, minute repeaters still involve an exacting level of craftsmanship. It is often said that the maker of a minute repeater requires the ear of a musician and the hand of a surgeon.
Reference 3939
Patek Philippe introduced the reference 3939 in 1993 in yellow, white and pink gold models. A platinum version was released the following year and discontinued in 2011. This complicated timepiece is exemplary of the master craftsmanship of Patek Philippe, not only because it consists of a total of 336 parts but it also houses both minute repeating and tourbillon functions within a small case, classified by the calibre R 27 TO 27 PS.
One of the most elegant and understated of Patek Philippe’s Grand Complication timepieces of recent times, only around 200 pieces were ever made and approximately 75 examples were made in yellow gold during its production from 1992-2009.
One of the most elegant and subtle of the Patek Philippe grand complication timepieces, reference 3939 unites the sonorous charms of a two-gong minute repeater with the gravity-defying precision of a tourbillon escapement. In keeping with its eternal style, reference 3939 ignores the contemporary trend for larger dials, measuring 33 mm. in diameter, an achievement for such a technically sophisticated timepiece. This is also one of the very few Patek Philippe references to feature an enamel dial with with Breguet-style numerals.