94
Patek Philippe
Ref. 3428
Calatrava
An exquisite, very rare and extremely collectible white gold automatic wristwatch with enamel dial and bracelet with certificate of origin
Full-Cataloguing
- Automatic, seconds at 6
- Extremely rare white gold iteration: one of 6 known
- Featuring enamel dial and Milanese bracelet
In 1960, Patek Philippe replaced the legendary ref. 2526 with the new and improved ref. 3428. The preceding ref. 2526 was the manufacturer’s first automatic wristwatch that was serially produced and therefore held an important position in the history of the brand. It was developed over the course of decades while waiting for Rolex’s patent on the (now virtually ubiquitous) rotor to expire. The result was caliber 12-600 AT - already a technical masterpiece still today considered among the best automatic movements ever developed.
Even after such a long R&D, when cal. 12-600 hit the market, customer feedback prompted the company to make small incremental upgrades (ball bearings, balance regulation system, Breguet hairspring) over the years. When they reached what they deemed perfection, they renamed the caliber “27-460” and the watch “3428”.
The model was produced for only 5 years in much smaller quantities compared to its forerunner - as evidenced by auction appearances: while a total of about 450-500 ref. 2526 appeared at auction, only about 30 examples of the present model have so far passed under the hammer.
And yet, while any example of this model should be considered an ultimate trophy, the present piece can be classified as truly stellar, as it features an impossibly rare white gold case. So far, only 6 examples in white gold are known, including the present one. The presence of the Milanese bracelet further adds to its appeal and beauty.
Compounding to its collectability, the watch features a superb enamel dial - notoriously difficult to execute and with rejection rates that are rumored to approach 9 out of 10 pieces.
Patek Philippe
Swiss | 1839Since its founding in 1839, this famous Geneva-based firm has been surprising its clientele with superbly crafted timepieces fitted with watchmaking's most prestigious complications. Traditional and conservative designs are found across Patek Philippe's watches made throughout their history — the utmost in understated elegance.
Well-known for the Graves Supercomplication — a highly complicated pocket watch that was the world’s most complicated watch for 50 years — this family-owned brand has earned a reputation of excellence around the world. Patek's complicated vintage watches hold the highest number of world records for results achieved at auction compared with any other brand. For collectors, key models include the reference 1518, the world's first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph, and its successor, the reference 2499. Other famous models include perpetual calendars such as the ref. 1526, ref. 3448 and 3450, chronographs such as the reference 130, 530 and 1463, as well as reference 1436 and 1563 split seconds chronographs. Patek is also well-known for their classically styled, time-only "Calatrava" dress watches, and the "Nautilus," an iconic luxury sports watch first introduced in 1976 as the reference 3700 that is still in production today.