hello everyone.
The demand for staying at home has exploded, and the excitement for spending time at home comfortably is becoming amazing. I was really surprised by the news that the lottery odds for the PS5 were nearly 100 times. (laughs)
Our senior advisor and YouTuber, "Yagi", is enjoying sending you videos about luxury watches, so we hope you will enjoy watching them at home. (laughs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpXNHQ3ss7Q&t=4s
Well, this time we have received the popular perpetual calendar chronograph "Ref. 3970E" in 18KYG (yellow gold), so as I wrote about in a previous column, I would like to introduce it to you.
What is the ref.3970?
First, I would like to give a brief explanation of the "Ref. 3970".
The "Ref. 3970" is the third generation perpetual calendar chronograph, following its predecessor, the "Ref. 1518," and the second generation, the "Ref. 2499."
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.
There are various opinions about the case and dial specifications and combinations, but the "Ref. 3970" was manufactured from 1986 to 2004, and the main feature of the 1st 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.
The index was baton-shaped and the hands were leaf-shaped. I think this is probably the most classical design. It is said that only about 100 were produced, so it is unlikely to be seen on the market.
2nd Series
The 2nd 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 now had serifs. The indexes were baton-shaped, and the hands were leaf-shaped.
After this comes the irregular reference "Ref.3971" in the chronological order. It has a see-through back cover and only 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 "waterproof" in French), 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 the previous baton type, 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 PT (platinum) cases are especially popular. *The platinum case also had a black dial with diamond indexes.
Ref.3970EJ-014 Perpetual Calendar Chronograph 18KYG
Although this explanation has been quite long, the watch I would like to introduce this time is the 3rd series "Ref. 3970E," a model that was sold in July 2004, which is said to be the final year of production. The date is printed on the warranty card, and it comes with all the accessories, so I highly recommend it.
Furthermore, the overhaul and case finishing was completed at Patek Philippe 's Swiss headquarters in July 2019, and an alligator strap was also attached at that time. Another plus is that there is still some time left in the manufacturer's repair warranty period.
At present, there are very few "Ref. 3970"s being sold in Japan, and even if you search overseas websites, it is difficult to find one that comes complete with warranty, box, and accessories and is being sold for around 8 million yen (excluding tax). This is a watch that we can recommend in terms of condition, year of manufacture, and selling price.
The Ref. 3970, Ref. 5970, and Ref. 5004, which are equipped with Lemania movements, are popular models that are supported by watch enthusiasts, and if they are in good condition and come with all the accessories, they would be worth adding to your collection.