Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces

Geneva, Mar 27, 2011

LOT 564

Patek Philippe Platinum & Enamel Dial Minute Repeater & Tourbillon Patek Philippe, Genève, No. 1903064, case No. 4188348, Ref. 3939HP. Sold on February 10, 2003. Extremely fine and rare, minute-repeating, platinum wristwatch with one-minute tourbillon regulator, enamel Breguet dial and a platinum Patek Philippe buckle. Accompanied by the Patek Philippe fitted box, additional solid platinum case back and Certificate of Origin.

CHF 400,000 - 500,000

USD 400,000 - 500,000 / EUR 310,000 - 400,000

Sold: CHF 428,500

C. Three-body, solid, polished, concave lugs, transparent case back. D. White enamel with applied 18K white gold Breguet numerals, outer dot minute indexes, subsidiary seconds dial. White gold Breguet hands. M. Cal. RTO 27 PS, stamped with the Seal of Geneva Quality Mark, rhodium-plated, fausses cotes decoration, 28 jewels, lateral lever escapement with one-minute tourbillon regulator with 3 equidistant steel arms under a polished steel bridge, Gyromax balance adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, shockabsorber, self-compensating free-sprung Breguet balance spring, repeating on gongs activated by a slide on the band. Dial, case and movement signed. Diam. 33.5 mm. Thickness 12 mm.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 1

As new
Movement: 1

As new
Dial: 1-01

As new

HANDS Original

Notes

It appears that from our research this watch is only the fifth example of the reference 3939 in platinum to appear at auction. Production of the reference 3939 began in 1995 with the caliber RTO 27 PS, featuring 336 components and bearing the serial number 1903000. It is a technical exploit to incorporate in a 12 1/2??? movement a minute tourbillon carriage (made in steel, comprising 69 parts, weight 0.3 grams) together with a minute-repeating mechanism. The tourbillon regulator in the Ref. 3939 is not displayed through the dial in the manner of other tourbillon wristwatches; this is because the oil used to lubricate the mechanism is sensitive to ultraviolet light and will decay if exposed to daylight. The first watch of Ref. 3939H is illustrated in ?Patek Philippe Wristwatches?, by Martin Huber and Alan Banbery, 1998 Edition, p. 330.