Manufacturer: Patek Philippe Year: 1972 Reference No: 3585 Movement No: 1'183'241 Case No: 2'700'773 Material: 18K yellow gold Calibre: Automatic, cal. 350, 28 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Clasp/Buckle: 18K yellow gold pin buckle signed PPCo Dimensions: 36mm Width Signed: Case, dial, movement and buckle signed Accessories: Accompanied by Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch in 1972 and its subsequent sale on March 2, 1972.
Catalogue Essay
A cousin of the Patek Philippe Ellipse, the reference 3585 boasts a larger, cushion-shaped case in 18 karat yellow gold measuring 36mm in diameter. It wears boldly on the wrist, is well-proportioned and with an interesting textured navy blue dial somewhere between a cross-hatched pattern and a linen-style finish. Beautiful gold indexes and a matching handset complete a harmonious case and dial worthy of a manufacture such as Patek Philippe.
The reference 3585 is powered by the automatic caliber 350, an unusual movement in use from 1970 until 1985, though mostly phased out of production by 1979. Remarkably, the winding crown and stem are located at the caseback, allowing for a fluidity of form from the wearer's perspective. Innovative for the time and rarely seen, the caliber 350 also uses a bi-directional peripheral rotor, wherein the rotor can swing in both directions to power the movement, and the weighted segment made of gold is located on a track surrounding the movement.
Boldness and innovation were emblematic of the 1970s, and this Patek Philippe wristwatch manufactured and sold in 1972 embodies both.
Since 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.