Without a doubt, the present timepiece is one of the most important “pure” (no additional complication) minute repeater wristwatches made by Patek Philippe.
Minute repeaters are undoubtedly considered - both by the public and by Patek Philippe themselves - one of the ultimate specialties of the brand. Made in extremely restricted numbers, they are the ultimate tier when it comes to Patek Philippe collecting. Modern timepieces are practically unobtainable unless the brand deems one worthy of such an honour, and the vintage and neo-vintage examples are even more difficult to come across given the even smaller output.
Thus, the present special order piece unique can be considered as an absolute pinnacle of Patek collecting, a unique grail whose rarity and mechanical complexity is rivalled only by its elegance.
Fresh-to-the-market and consigned by the original owner, the watch features a never-before-seen "porcelain" dial with painted Breguet numerals - in stark contrast with the rest of the 3979 production which features Roman numerals. The genesis of such a dial is fully documented both by Patek Philippe and by the meticulous collector himself in the accompanying documents. From Patek Philippe, the original letter dated December 3 1991 is present confirming the “exceptional production of a white dial with Breguet numerals” for the watch.
From the collector, a handwritten note is present dated December 1991 - at the moment of purchase - stating that the Patek Philippe letter has to always accompany the Certificate of Origin for these explicit reasons:
a) the watch was originally intended to have Roman numerals
b) the letter certifies the special order request and acceptance
c) the watch was delivered with Breguet numerals
Indeed, the original Certificate dated December 12 1991 mentions the Roman numerals, but the letter is dated December 3 1991 as he wanted to receive official confirmation from Patek about the special order before picking up the watch from the shop. Finally, the Extract from the Archives confirming the Breguet numerals closes the circle demonstrating how the official dial the watch is recorded with is indeed the Breguet numerals one. This is not simply an additional dial offered to the client on the side; it rather is a truly bespoken configuration of the watch.
Given how rarely Patek Philippe agrees to making special request pieces, that would be already enough to make this watch catnip for collectors. The fact that a special request has been granted on a repeating watch of course boosts the appeal of the package, but the fact that this was an Anniversary model renders the realisation of this piece unique absolutely mind-blowing : it would be simply unthinkable to obtain such a customisation on an Anniversary piece in modern days.
In honour of its 150th anniversary, Patek Philippe launched a series of exclusive timepieces, marking a significant occasion in an era when such special editions were rare. Among these notable releases were the caliber 89 and two minute repeating timepieces: the reference 3974, featuring a perpetual calendar complication, and the reference 3979, like the present example, showcasing small seconds. The wrist models were celebrated as pivotal achievements for the brand, being the first self-winding minute repeating wristwatches they had ever produced.
Housed in a refined 33mm round case with highly architectural lugs reminiscent of what seen on the vintage Patek minuter repeaters, reference 3979 was available in platinum, white gold, pink gold and yellow gold. With around 100 pieces made in total and only 24 having appeared publicly, the model is without a doubt one of the rarest modern repeaters made by the brand. Initially, cases for this reference were crafted by the skilled Jean-Pierre Hagmann. Later iterations like the present example featured cases by Geneva-based Atelier Reunis, identifiable by the key hallmark number 28. Interestingly, after the year 2000 all cases made by Atelier Reunis won't be stamped with key 28 anymore but rather with the signature oval PPC stamp.
