$98,500
Patek Philippe - Yellow Gold - Ref. 3971E Patek Philippe, Genève, No. 875586, case No. 2856574, Ref. 3971E. Made in 1990, sold on July 22nd, 1990. Very fine and rare, astronomic, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with round button chronograph, registers, perpetual calendar, moon phases and an 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe deployant clasp. Accompanied by a fitted box and the Extract from the Archives. Notes Ref. 3970 / 3971 (1986-2005) The 3970 was introduced for Patek Philippe’s 150th anniversary, to replace the successful model Ref. 2499, which had been produced from 1951 to 1985. Thanks to the explosive popularity of collecting vintage Patek Philippe wristwatches during the early 1980's, collectors had discovered the extreme rarity and enduring value associated with these timepieces. In a rare breach of Patek’s legendary secrecy, it was discovered that fewer than 400 Ref. 2499 timepieces, including the final evolution, the Ref. 2499/100, had been manufactured during the model’s entire production. Patek Philippe also sensed the need for a more modern design of its flagship model, which had only undergone minor design revisions over a 30 year period. When Patek Philippe first launched this new series of watches in 1986, Ref. 3970 was the model bearing a metallic back, while Ref. 3971 was equipped with a sapphire back. Very soon, the reference number of this model was standardized to Ref. 3970. In consequence, very few examples of the present watch bear Ref. 3971. Antiquorum’
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2010-12-08
