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Patek Philippe
Ref. 3541
Calatrava
A rare and attractive yellow gold wristwatch with date and black dial
Full-Cataloguing
- Features an automatic movement and screw down case back
- Preserved in most probably unpolished condition
- Only known example with this dial configuration
Combining a water-resistant case, an automatic movement, and a date indication, reference 3541 represents one of Patek Philippe’s first tentative experiments with a timepiece aimed at a younger, more active, and dynamic audience. Together with similarly restrained models of the period, such as the time-only reference 565 or chronograph reference 1463, it marks the dawn of the Patek Philippe sport watch and a fundamental step in the evolution of the brand. Beyond its intellectual significance, this watch offers remarkable aesthetic and technical appeal. Quite an obscure reference, fewer than 40 examples are known to have appeared on the market to date.
The present watch is fitted with an incredibly rare black dial featuring Roman numerals at 9 and 12 o’clock. To date, it is the only known example to have appeared at auction with this dial configuration. The case itself is in astonishing condition, with sharp finishes and facets throughout, two crisp hallmarks beneath the lugs, and is most likely unpolished.
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.