Before the launch of the Nautilus, Patek Philippe only produced two references that were only available in stainless steel: reference 3418 and 3417. Both launched in 1958 with an anti-magnetic caliber 12-400, they were upgraded with caliber 27AM400 as of early 60s.

The need for anti-magnetic wristwatches started in the mid-1950s, with brands such as Rolex being commissioned by the CERN to produce a watch for their scientists. The trend was soon followed by other renowned Swiss brands such as Patek Philippe wishing to offer their clients an accurate timepiece that would resist strong magnetic fields. A number of features make Patek Philippe’s vintage anti-magnetic wristwatches highly coveted. The movement is shielded from magnetism with a soft-iron inner case, designed to resist magnetic fields up to 450 oersteds. By necessity, the case is designed for maximum robustness using stainless steel and fitted with a screwdown, water-resistant caseback.

Aside from its technical interest, the design of the 3417 is a pure marvel of elegance and refinement. Simply decorated with white gold baton indexes extended by baton hands and complemented by a style matching the elongated 12, the linear Art Deco scheme of the dial is cleverly enhanced by the hand script font of the word Amagnetic.

This fresh-to-the-market example is part of a very few privileged pieces that were sold by the famous Swiss retailer Gübelin as only six reference 3417 with the Gübelin signature have appeared on the market so far.

Originally based in Lucerne, Gübelin is known for drawing a line inside the caseback of the watches sold through their premises to indicate the date of purchase and to allow a record of service history. As one could expect, this watch displays this mark.

The excellent overall condition of the case and the dial of the present watch tick every box of the demanding collector!