Patek Philippe. An extremely fine and rare 18K gold automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases, Roman leap year indicator, original certificate, sales tag, box, spare dial, date disks and other accessories
Prospective purchasers are advised that several co… Read more "The complicated wristwatch: masterpiece yesterday, collectible item today, museum piece tomorrow" (translated from Patek Philippe's 1980s brochure "Komplizierte Uhren") THE PROPERTY OF AN IMPORTANT EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTOR
Patek Philippe. An extremely fine and rare 18K gold automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases, Roman leap year indicator, original certificate, sales tag, box, spare dial, date disks and other accessories

SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENÈVE, REF. 3450, MOVEMENT NO. 1'119'685, CASE NO. 2'805'692, MANUFACTURED IN 1984

Details
Patek Philippe. An extremely fine and rare 18K gold automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases, Roman leap year indicator, original certificate, sales tag, box, spare dial, date disks and other accessories
Signed Patek Philippe, Genève, ref. 3450, movement no. 1'119'685, case no. 2'805'692, manufactured in 1984
Cal. 27-460 QB automatic movement stamped twice with the Geneva seal, 37 jewels, Gyromax balance, 18K gold rotor, silvered matte dial, applied gold baton and square numerals, windows for day and month, eccentric aperture for the Roman leap year indication between 3 and 4 o'clock, subsidiary moon phase and date dial at 6 o'clock, circular case with enlarged bezel, snap on back, 18K gold Patek Philippe original buckle, case, dial and movement signed
37.5 mm. diam.
Special notice
Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

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John Reardon
John Reardon

Lot Essay

With Patek Philippe Certificate of Origin, original sales tag, presentation box and outer packaging, leather wallet, contemporary brochure "Komplizierte Uhren", technical data sheet for the perpetual calendar, spare sapphire crystal, dial, date, month and leap year disks, gold crown, rubber gasket rings, leather strap and original 18K gold Patek philippe buckle. Furthermore delivered with the Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch with silvered dial and 12 yellow gold hour markers in 1984 and its subsequent sale on 11 April 1984.

The present reference 3450 manifestly occupies a top position in the category "spectacular timepieces" and can even be rightfully denoted the best example of this iconic model in gold, and certainly also the most complete, to appear in public in many years.

Purchased by the original owner, an important private collector, at Patek Philippe in Singapore in April 1984, the watch spent its existence unused and safely locked away. It remains in pristine condition. The only traces left by time are the uniform bronze-coloured oxidation to the case and buckle, infallible sign for watches having remained untouched during many years, a feature highly appreciated by collectors.

The incredibly full and sharp case proportions witness impressively the look of a reference 3450 when it left the factory, including the immaculate condition of Patek Philippe's original "Water-Resistant Automatic" protective sticker to the case back. The dial has equally never been touched and is in as pristine condition as the case and, of course, the movement.

This "sleeping beauty" is furthermore delivered with an impressive selection of accessories, in addition to the original certificate, sales tag, box, period brochure and technical data sheet: the meticulous owner wishing to have key watch parts of the period for his treasure purchased not only a spare leather bracelet, o-ring rubber gaskets to assure the water-resistance of the case, a sapphire crystal and original gold crown but most importantly an additional dial, day and date disks and a leap year disk with the red dot and Arabic numerals commonly found in the early examples of reference 3450, thus allowing to change the appearance of the watch if desired. These brand new, original Patek Philippe accessories, all rarities by themselves and delights to the collector's heart, further enhance the appeal of the present watch.

The combination of the absolutely perfect condition, private provenance, freshness to the market and presence of the original certificate and accessories render this exclusive timepiece a "dream come true" for any connoisseur striving to add only the very best to his collection.

Reference 3450
In 1981, reference 3450, successor of reference 3448, was introduced into the market with the improved 27'460 QB (Quantième Bissextile) calibre. The model differs from its predecessor by the modified leap year indication, the eccentric small window at 4 o'clock. The first series was made with a simple red disk and Arabic numerals, the second, such as the present watch, with Roman I, II, III and IV leap year indication.

A total of 244 examples of reference 3450 were made, the majority in yellow gold cases, only two in white gold are known to date.

Production of both references 3448 and 3450 was discontinued in 1985 when reference 3940 was launched.

Another example of a ref. 3450 with Roman leap year indicator is illustrated and described in Patek Philippe Museum - Patek Philippe Watches - Volume II, p. 297, Inv. P-239.

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