Patek Philippe’s minute repeater perpetual calendar reference 3974 was launched in 1989 to celebrate the brand’s 150th anniversary, featuring an in-house self-winding movement, it was the world’s most complicated wristwatch at the time.

The movement beating in the heart of this masterpiece is Patek Philippe’s caliber 27RQ, an impressively thin movement measuring just 6.8mm, comprised of 467 components. Another surprising feature is the micro-rotor, which provides an unobtrusive view into the superbly finished movement. The historical reference 3974 additionally stands-out as the first automatic-winding, minute repeating watch ever made, beating the Blancpain reference 5335 by a few months.

Even though the case architecture is derived from the iconic reference 2499 with its stepped arched lugs, the case is undoubtedly modern in its design. Patek Philippe turned to Jean-Pierre Hagmann, a living legend among case makers, to create a case that would not only be a beautiful vessel for the watch but could also act as a superb sound carrier for the repeater’s delicate chimes. These minute repeaters are known to be Monsieur Hagmann’s favorite creations for the brand, and the early examples with his initials are coveted by collectors. He began his career creating watch bracelets at Gay Frères and went on to create watch cases for the most illustrious Swiss brands – even creating the 26 cases for Patek Philippe’s Star Calibre 2000 in six weeks. The chimes in the present timepiece are crystal clear, perfectly-timed, loud, and extremely pleasant to the ear - thanks to Patek Philippe’s technical expertise and Hagmann’s savoir faire.

Patek Philippe discontinued the 3974 in 2000, and given how complex it was to manufacture, very few examples were made over its 11-year production period. In fact, the present example in white gold, fresh to the market, is the rarest of all case metals and is only the fifth known, according to scholarship.