The ref. 3450 was launched in 1981 and succeeded the ref. 3448 as the next in line in the family of Patek Philippe automatic perpetual calendar wristwatches. Adhering strongly to the design codes of its predecessor, it discretely features an inconspicuous aperture at 4 o’clock that indicates the leap year without disturbing the beautiful proportions of the otherwise clean canvas. The first series displays the leap years with a simple red disk and Arabic numerals, while the second, as per the present example, are fitted with Roman I, II, III and IV leap year indication.

Before the ref. 3450, earlier perpetual calendar watches required a rigorous synchronization procedure to manually identify the leap year before advancing to the current year in the cycle. The present reference was the inaugural serially produced model with a leap year indication, equipped with an updated, foolproof calendar setting mechanism. In addition, its case back is slightly smaller and fitted with a "lip" allowing its wearer to easily access the movement if needed.

Drawing from the ref. 3448 which dates back to 1962, the case design of this reference is an ode to the timeless overall aesthetic, featuring a clean uncluttered dial coupled with a sculpted case defined by straight, angular lugs. Framed in a distinctively large, sloped bezel, the polished and satin-finished case resembles a “big pan”, resulting in its famous Italian nickname, the “Padellone”.

Building upon the highly regarded cal. 27-460, the ref. 3450 is driven by the upgraded cal. 27-460QB that incorporates a perpetual calendar function (Quantième Bissextile) into the original automatic movement. This calibre represented the final but almost unknown evolution of the famous cal. 12-600, Patek Philippe’s first automatic movement from 1953, made for the Calatrava. While waiting for Rolex’s patent on the automatic rotors to expire, the firm was quietly redesigning their in-house self-winding movement that eventually outperformed its ancestor. After decades of R&D, the new and improved cal. 27-460 was finally introduced and the cal. 27-460QB certainly attests to the firm’s mechanical prowess as the most complex variant of the last evolution of this highly progressive vintage automatic movement.

Having enjoyed a short but sweet four-year production run, only an estimated 248 examples of the yellow gold (with two white gold examples) ref. 3450 has been identified, rendering it as one of the rarest Patek Philippe perpetual calendar references ever manufactured in series.

With the ref. 3450 known to be discontinued in 1985 to welcome the launch of the ref. 3940 perpetual calendar, the present timepiece manufactured on 11th March 1985 could very likely be part of the final batch of the production of the shortly lived reference. Through research, it is believed that the present example is the 94th publicly known in the market from the 2nd series in yellow gold.

A remarkable ‘time-capsule’ condition timepiece, the present ref. 3450 exhibits razor-sharp bevels from the bezel down to all lugs, even better, the two hallmarks on top are deep and crisp like it was stamped yesterday. Ticking all the boxes and delivered with its Certificate of Origin and complete set of accessories further elevates its attractiveness as one of the highly sought-after collectible of today.