Patek Philippe
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DETAILS
Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Ref. 3940 is considered among the most elegant and distinguished perpetual calendar timepieces ever made. Launched in 1985 to replace reference 3450, it is one of Patek Philippe’s longest production model. It was in production until 2007, in three series in gold of three colors – yellow, white and pink – and in platinum, with very similar dial configuration. This reference is generally divided into three series. The first series was produced from 1985 to 1987 and features a dial with sunken registers and an absence of cross lines in the leap year subdial. The second series, produced in 1987–1995, consists of two periods, early and late. The main attribute of the watches of the second series is the updated design of the dial with sub-dials at 3 and 9 o’clock featuring bevelled edges, on which the days of the week and months are printed. Early second series watches, produced until 1989, have only numerals on the leap year sub-dial, while the late second series models, produced from 1990 to 1995, exhibit a leap year indication that is divided by lines into four quadrants. The third and last Ref. 3940 series, in production from around 1998 until 2007, is distinguished by the ‘sigma’ inscription aligned with the minute markers, while in the watches of the second series the ‘sigma’ inscription is placed lower. Acollectedman.com estimates the total issue of Ref. 3940 of all three series with approximately 7,000–8,000 being made in total between 1985–2007, of which around 3,500 were produced of both early and late second series, and around 2,200 of third series being produced in the last 10 years left until the 5140 replaced it in the catalogue. The present example belongs the third series and has a notable peculiarity in dial font type with letter ‘J’ characteristic to the dials of second-series Ref. 3940 watches.
REASONS TO BUY
This Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Ref. 3940G is a representative of the third series of this reference with the rare option of a “white” case in white gold – as Acollectedman.com notes, the “white” 3940s in white gold or in platinum are rarer than the more common “colored” models in yellow and rose gold. In any case it is undoubtedly a watch with high collector’s value, as it is one of the finest perpetual calendar wristwatches ever made.
ABOUT THIS WATCH
The ultra-thin automatic perpetual calendar movement was a notable achievement of Patek Philippe at the time. Production of the ultra-thin self-winding micro-rotor caliber 240 began in 1977. Measuring just 27.6mm across and a slender 2.53mm in height it was used by the brand as a time-only caliber that lived inside their slim Ref. 3738 Golden Ellipse and some ladies watches. It was one of the thinnest self-winding movements on the market at the time, with the design and high-quality finishing confirmed by the Poinçon de Genève quality hallmark. In 1985, it was used as a base movement in the development of the perpetual-calendar caliber 240 Q (Quantième perpétuel). The addition of a calendar module increased the thickness by only 1.22 mm to a final height of 3.75 mm, so caliber 240 Q is as slim as possible while still being remarkably complicated. It led to the release of new sophisticated but very elegant watches with a perpetual calendar function – the now legendary ultra-thin self-winding perpetual calendars Ref. 3940 and Ref. 3945/1. The caliber of this watch designated as 240/114 that is typical for the third series, and it has an appropriate design with a 22-carat gold micro-rotor featuring a Côtes de Genève ornament and the engraved Calatrava cross with no additional markings.
Specifications
| D= | 36 |
| Glass | Sapfire glass |
| Functions | Moon phase, Date, Perpetual calendar |
| Dial | Silver |
| Case | White gold |
| REF: | 3940G |
ADDITIONAL PHOTOS:
