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hello everyone.
This is a very timely topic, but PHILLIPS ' THE GENEVA WATCH AUCTION: Ⅺ was held yesterday and the day before.
On display there were the Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronographs I wrote about last time, the first generation "Ref. 1518" and its second generation successor "Ref. 2499".
*Left: "Ref.1518" Right: "Ref.2499" Reference: PHILLIPS
The winning bid price was...
"Ref.1518"
3,380,000 CHF (Swiss Franc)!! Converted to Japanese Yen, it is about 380 million yen !
"Ref.2499"
2,600,000 CHF (Swiss Franc)!! Converted to Japanese Yen, it is about 300 million yen !
This result is sure to blow away the current economic climate... Incidentally, this time the items on offer were from Jean-Claude Biver, a collector so famous that everyone in the watch industry knows him, and the four watches he put up for auction fetched a combined total of 938 million yen.
My honest impression is that the world's wealthiest people are incredible, and watching the auction in real time (you can watch it on the app) made for a rather exciting two days.
Well, following on from last time, I would like to write about Patek Philippe's perpetual calendar chronograph. It won't have as much impact as the auction, but please stay with me until the end.
"Ref.3970"
In my previous column, I wrote about the Ref.1518 and Ref.2499, but this time I would like to start with the successor model, the Ref.3970.
The movement is a hand-wound "Cal. CH 27-70 Q" that is an updated version of the Nouvelle Lemania ebauche "Cal. 2310" with the addition of a modernly designed perpetual calendar module. It beats at 18,000 vibrations per hour and is said to have a power reserve of approximately 60 hours.
1st Series
There are many opinions about the case and dial specifications and combinations, but I will write about my thoughts for each series. The "Ref. 3970" was produced from 1986 to 2004, and the main feature of the first series is that the back cover is a snap-back (insertion type). The dial has a relatively clear two-tone sub-dial compared to later models.
*Ref.3970 1st Reference: Sothebys
If you look closely, you can see that the sub-dial is slightly cream-colored. (It's easier to tell by comparing the two pictures above.) The month and day of the week displayed in the small window have a classical impression without serifs, the index is baton-shaped, and the hands are leaf-shaped. I think this is probably the most classical design. It is said that only about 100 pieces were produced, so it is unlikely to be seen on the market.
2nd Series
The second series had a screw-down back, and instead of a see-through back, it only had a closed back. Compared to the early models, the dial was no longer two-tone, and the font for the month and day of the week displayed in the small window had serifs. The indexes were baton-shaped, and the hands were leaf-shaped.
*Ref.3970 EG Reference: Christies
I think that the irregular reference "Ref.3971" will be sandwiched between these two in the chronological order. The back cover is see-through and only has a screw-down back. Other than that, the specifications of the indexes and hands are the same as the 2nd series.
3rd Series
The third series was the "ref.3970E" (E stands for "etanche" in French, meaning "waterproof"), and was a screw-down watch, sold with both a closed back and a sapphire crystal see-through back. It is said that this was released in response to a series of individual orders from Patek Philippe customers for the "ref.3970" model skeleton back.
As for the dial, the indexes are now triangular instead of baton-shaped, and the hands have changed from leaves to batons. In addition, the color of the dial has become slightly darker, and from this series, a black dial with bar indexes has been introduced for the WG (white gold) and PT (platinum) cases. The platinum cases are especially popular. *The platinum case also had a black dial with diamond indexes.
summary
When I first started working in the watch industry and the "Ref. 3970" started to attract attention, I remember that the market price for a platinum case with a black dial and bar indexes was about 9 million yen (excluding tax). Then, before the Lehman Shock, it rose to about 17 million yen (excluding tax).
Regarding the buckle, a buckle-type buckle was used until the middle of the 3rd series, but from the late 1990s models, a folding buckle was adopted.
I have seen a rare version in the past, with the original "Ref. 5004" dial, which is also stated as Arabic on the warranty. There is also the "Ref. 3970/002" where the watch and bracelet are integrated, and although it is a design that divides opinions, it is also a rare item that is hard to find if you look for it.
*Ref.3970/002 Reference: Sothebys
[Patek Philippe] When you start writing about perpetual calendar chronographs, there are so many different specifications, and many of them have their own unique personalities. The "Ref. 3970" that I talked about this time is, like last time, a model that is hard to come by, but I hope that I have provided some information that you may find useful.
So, I think I'll leave it here for now.
In the next article, which will be the final one on perpetual calendars, I would like to touch on the current "Ref. 5270" and other models.