929Σ
Patek Philippe
Ref. 3970ER-028
An ultra rare and important pink gold perpetual calendar chronograph wristwatch with moon phases, black dial, Breguet numeral at 12 o'clock, tachymeter scale, 24-hour, leap year indication, Certificate of Origin, setting pin and presentation box, one of 5 pieces made for the 2015 Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition at the Saatchi gallery in London, the only known in double-factory-sealed
Full-Cataloguing
With over 400 exceptional timepieces on display, the 2015 Patek Philippe Watch Art Grand Exhibition was the largest overseas exhibition of the brand at that time. To celebrate this significant occasion, Patek Philippe publicly released a selection of previously discontinued pieces with special dials for the first time, reserved exclusively for their most trusted clientele. Today, watches from this landmark exhibition are regarded as trophy pieces due to their rarity and historical significance within Patek Philippe's legacy.
Launched in 1986, the ref. 3970 continued the legacy of the iconic ref. 2499, sharing its downturned fluted lugs and pump pushers reminiscent of historical models. As a modern perpetual calendar chronograph, it introduced several innovations, replacing the Valjoux movement of its predecessors with a heavily modified Lemania cal. 2310 D. The cal. CH 27-70 Q now indicated leap years, while a 24-hour hand added practical functionality.
Collectors are especially drawn to the special dials and limited editions. Even after production ended in 2004, Patek continued to create special-order ref. 3970s for prominent clients like Eric Clapton and Michael Ovitz. Besides the Saatchi edition, many of these notable ref. 3970s feature a Breguet numeral at 12 o’clock, a tachymeter scale, and unique case-dial combinations that captivate even the most seasoned collectors.
This unique double-sealed example comes complete with its original accessories, including the Certificate of Origin, portfolio, photograph and presentation box.
Patek Philippe
Swiss | 1839Since its founding in 1839, this famous Geneva-based firm has been surprising its clientele with superbly crafted timepieces fitted with watchmaking's most prestigious complications. Traditional and conservative designs are found across Patek Philippe's watches made throughout their history — the utmost in understated elegance.
Well-known for the Graves Supercomplication — a highly complicated pocket watch that was the world’s most complicated watch for 50 years — this family-owned brand has earned a reputation of excellence around the world. Patek's complicated vintage watches hold the highest number of world records for results achieved at auction compared with any other brand. For collectors, key models include the reference 1518, the world's first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph, and its successor, the reference 2499. Other famous models include perpetual calendars such as the ref. 1526, ref. 3448 and 3450, chronographs such as the reference 130, 530 and 1463, as well as reference 1436 and 1563 split seconds chronographs. Patek is also well-known for their classically styled, time-only "Calatrava" dress watches, and the "Nautilus," an iconic luxury sports watch first introduced in 1976 as the reference 3700 that is still in production today.