REF. 3428, MOVEMENT NO. 1'110'597, CASE NO. 2'614'475, MANUFACTURED IN 1961

With its strikingly contemporary, predominantly monochromatic aesthetic, the present reference 3428J, fitted with a cream-coloured enamel dial, ranks among the rarest and most desirable vintage time-only automatic wristwatches produced by Patek Philippe. Manufactured for only a brief period between 1960 and 1965, reference 3428 succeeded the celebrated reference 2526, the manufacture's first serially produced self-winding wristwatch. At some point during its history, the previous owner had the present gold bracelet welded directly to the case, resulting in the distinctive appearance in which the watch is offered today.

The model retained the perfectly proportioned 36 mm. case designed by renowned Geneva casemaker F. Baumgartner, preserving the elegant architecture of its predecessor. Among its defining features are the domed screw-down caseback ensuring water resistance and the beautifully forged gold crown bearing the opposing 'PP' monogram, a hallmark reserved for the manufacture's automatic models. Like reference 2526, the present watch is fitted with a magnificent enamel dial produced by Stern Frères, while its principal technical evolution lies beneath the dial, where the celebrated calibre 27-460 replaced the earlier calibre 12-600 AT.

Reference 3428 was produced in significantly smaller numbers than its predecessor, with research suggesting a total production of fewer than 600 examples, approximately 400 of which were cased in yellow gold, such as the present timepiece. Its comparatively short production run is often attributed to changing tastes during the early 1960s, as increasingly slim wristwatches came to define contemporary design.