Important Modern & Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Nov 08, 2015

LOT 93

PATEK PHILIPPE 3970 BATON INDEXES LEAF HANDS YELLOW GOLD Patek Philippe, Genève, No. 875124 case No. 2840105, Ref. 3970E. Made in 1988, sold on March 28th, 1988. Very fine, water-resistant, 18K yellow gold wristwatch with round button chronograph, register, perpetual calendar, moon phases, leap year indication, 24-hour indication and an 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe buckle. Accompanied by an Extract from the Archives, instruction booklet and push pin.

CHF 50,000 - 70,000

HKD 400,000 - 560,000 / USD 52,000 - 73,000

Sold: CHF 75,000

Two-body, solid, polished and brushed, concave bezel, fluted lugs, transparent screw down case back, sapphire crystals. Silver with applied yellow gold baton indexes, subsidiary dials for the seconds and the 30-minute register, the days of the month, the 24 hours and the leap year, aperture for the days of the week and the months and the moon phases. Yellow gold leaf hands. Cal. CH 27-70/155, stamped with the Seal of Geneva quality mark, rhodium- plated, fausses cotes decoration, 24 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, free-sprung Gyromax balance adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 8 positions, shock absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance spring.


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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

Dial, case and movement signed. DIAM. 36 mm. THICKNESS 13 mm. Property of the Original Austrian Family This particular example was purchased new and and features interesting small variations. Firstly it has a low movement number at 875'124. ANTIQUORUM sold the first 3970 ever made (27.06.2015 Hong Kong, lot 482), so we can conclude that this is the 124th watch made. Scholars believe that the rare snap-on caseback was produced in approximately 100 pieces only. So while this watch is a very early 3970 featuring simply one solid screw-down caseback (the transparent could be ordered extra on request), it features the early leaf hands and the baton markers, but the caseback is stamped 3970E which is usually found on third series. Interestingly it features hallmarks simply on the outer caseback characteristic of early series. Quite possibly a transitional model between second and third series, it is in mint condition still exhibiting mint hallmarks and the factory finish to the case indicating that the watch was never polished.