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Lot Essay
Launched in 1985 and discontinued in 2007, reference 3940 has long been a collector's favorite and marks a significant turning point in Patek Philippe's contemporary history. The fact that Philippe Stern, the company's head at the time, personally selected the model to wear every day further enhances its reputation.
The present example belongs to the highly coveted and rare 'first series'. According to our research, only 82 examples of the first series in yellow gold are known to the market today, out of an estimated 1'300 pieces produced. The flat, sunken subsidiary dials that show the 24-hour and leap year indications make these early watches easily identifiable. These details were later changed in following series, with the leap year indication featuring a cross dividing the four sectors.
Reference 3940
Reference 3940 and its sister model, reference 3970 perpetual calendar chronograph, were introduced in the mid-1980's, when the mechanical watch renaissance was still in its early stages and few complex wristwatches were being manufactured.
Powering the watch is the Cal. 240-Q movement, an automatic movement with a 22k gold micro-rotor that epitomizes Patek Philippe's technical prowess, making it incredibly slim at only 9 mm. The reference's dial layout underwent significant refinements over the course of its two-decade production run, resulting in three distinct series and a few rare variations, all of which added to the model's long-lasting collectability.
The present example belongs to the highly coveted and rare 'first series'. According to our research, only 82 examples of the first series in yellow gold are known to the market today, out of an estimated 1'300 pieces produced. The flat, sunken subsidiary dials that show the 24-hour and leap year indications make these early watches easily identifiable. These details were later changed in following series, with the leap year indication featuring a cross dividing the four sectors.
Reference 3940
Reference 3940 and its sister model, reference 3970 perpetual calendar chronograph, were introduced in the mid-1980's, when the mechanical watch renaissance was still in its early stages and few complex wristwatches were being manufactured.
Powering the watch is the Cal. 240-Q movement, an automatic movement with a 22k gold micro-rotor that epitomizes Patek Philippe's technical prowess, making it incredibly slim at only 9 mm. The reference's dial layout underwent significant refinements over the course of its two-decade production run, resulting in three distinct series and a few rare variations, all of which added to the model's long-lasting collectability.