.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Uniting the audible charms of a two-gong minute repeater with the gravity-defying precision of a tourbillon escapement, reference 3939 is one of the very few Patek Philippe models to feature an enamel dial with Breguet numerals. This stunning aesthetic is part of the legend of the unconventional reference 3939. The movement provides a beautiful, clear and distinctive tone, particular to reference 3939 minute repeaters which are noted for their individual sonorous tones.
Officially launched in 1993 and remaining in production until 2009, reference 3939H was available in all three gold versions and in platinum. The suffix ‘H’ for ‘Haute’, refers to the half-round longer Cathedral gong that requires a higher space within the case to accommodate it.
In the early 20th century, Patek Philippe started to deliver ‘miniature’ (small size, under 14’’’ or 32 mm) minute repeater mechanisms, especially for Tiffany & Co, and soon made the first wristwatches with this complication. Originally an attempt to improve accuracy, tourbillons are today produced for their mesmerizing visual appeal and as a fashion product, therefore most of the brands show it through the dial. Only Patek Philippe remained traditional and classic, not sacrificing quality or good time keeping for aesthetic, kept it visible only from the back through a transparent display back.
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 few examples in platinum are known to have returned to the market. In keeping with its eternal style, reference 3939 ignores the contemporary trend for larger cases, it is a feat of technical excellence that makes it a watch of immense sophistication. As with all Patek Philippe minute repeaters, the present watch had to pass one final test before being handed over to its future owner - since Patek Philippe launched the production of these cherished timepieces in 1989, not a single one left the workshop before Philippe Stern, the company's president until 2009, now honourable president, had deemed the sound of its chiming worthy of the firm's exemplary standards. In the tranquility of his office, Mr. Stern listened to the sound of each watch to assure the inimitable richness of timbre that is one of the trademarks of Patek Philippe's minute repeating wristwatches.
Officially launched in 1993 and remaining in production until 2009, reference 3939H was available in all three gold versions and in platinum. The suffix ‘H’ for ‘Haute’, refers to the half-round longer Cathedral gong that requires a higher space within the case to accommodate it.
In the early 20th century, Patek Philippe started to deliver ‘miniature’ (small size, under 14’’’ or 32 mm) minute repeater mechanisms, especially for Tiffany & Co, and soon made the first wristwatches with this complication. Originally an attempt to improve accuracy, tourbillons are today produced for their mesmerizing visual appeal and as a fashion product, therefore most of the brands show it through the dial. Only Patek Philippe remained traditional and classic, not sacrificing quality or good time keeping for aesthetic, kept it visible only from the back through a transparent display back.
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 few examples in platinum are known to have returned to the market. In keeping with its eternal style, reference 3939 ignores the contemporary trend for larger cases, it is a feat of technical excellence that makes it a watch of immense sophistication. As with all Patek Philippe minute repeaters, the present watch had to pass one final test before being handed over to its future owner - since Patek Philippe launched the production of these cherished timepieces in 1989, not a single one left the workshop before Philippe Stern, the company's president until 2009, now honourable president, had deemed the sound of its chiming worthy of the firm's exemplary standards. In the tranquility of his office, Mr. Stern listened to the sound of each watch to assure the inimitable richness of timbre that is one of the trademarks of Patek Philippe's minute repeating wristwatches.