Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Nov 10, 2013

LOT 602

PATEK PHILIPPE REF. 3448 - LEAP YEAR- EARLIEST KNOWN Patek Philippe, Genève, movement No. 1119442, case No. 332561, Ref. 3448. Made in 1976, sold on August 24th, 1976. Very fine, early and extremely rare, self-winding, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with perpetual calendar, moon phases, Roman numerals for the leap year indication and an 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe buckle. Accompanied by the Extract from the Archives.

CHF 100,000 - 150,000

HKD 857,000 - 1,286,000 / USD 110,600 - 166,000

Sold: CHF 231,750

Three-body, solid, polished and brushed, inclined bezel, sapphire crystal. Matte silver with applied yellow gold faceted baton and pyramidal indexes, subsidiary date dial, apertures for the days of the week, the month, leap year and moon phases. Yellow gold dauphine hands. Cal. 27-460 Q, stamped twice with the Seal of Geneva Quality Mark, rhodium plated, fausses cotes decoration, 37 jewels, straight line lever escapement, Gyromax balance adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, shock absorber, self compensating free-sprung Breguet balance spring, 18K gold rotor. Dial, case and movement signed.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 2-8

Very good

Slightly scratched
Movement: 2*

Very good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2-01

Very good

HANDS Original

Notes

DIAM. 38 mm. THICKNESS 12 mm. Property of a Swiss family Unknown and never seen on the market before, this watch has recently been discovered in Switzerland. The owner upon contacting Patek Philippe was surprised to discover that the watch was entered in the archives as a 3448 but already had the leap year indicator like the later 3450. It was with great surprise and wonder to discover that it was made and sold in 1976, a full 4 years earlier than the official launch of the 3450. Indeed it was the confirmation that the first examples of 3450â??s were simply 3448â??s with the addition of the leap year indicator. Furthermore, this example is clearly the earliest known with leap year indicator and still has the characteristic of having the larger caseback and not featuring the the tong to securely open the caseback, another unique feature on these early pre-production examples. Kept in private hands and worn on rare occasions, this may well be the earliest known 3448 featuring a leap year indicator making this one of the most rare and desirable 3448 available today.