Patek Philippe 'Padellone', Reference 3450 | A yellow gold perpetual...

Dial: silvered
Calibre: cal. 27-460 QB automatic, 37 jewels
Movement number: 1'119'781
Case: 18k yellow gold, snap-on case back
Case number: 2'808'558
Closure: associated 18k yellow gold Patek Philippe buckle
Size: 37.5 mm diameter
Signed: case, dial and movement
Box: yes
Papers: yes
Accessories: Patek Philippe Certificate of Origin, Extract from the Archives confirming date of sale on April 15, 1985, setting pin, presentation case with outer packaging and Beyer insurance valuation

Please note the leather strap derived from endangered species is for display purposes only and is not sold with the watch. The watch will be shipped with a Sotheby’s branded calf leather strap.

Condition Report:
MVT: is running at the time of cataloguing. The calendar is advancing.
CASE: is in very good overall condition. It presents fine surface scratches, mainly on the bezel. The case has been lightly polished. The case back has an 'L' engraved.
DIAL: is in good condition. It presents some minute blemishes. There are some fine humidity spots around the 2 o'clock index.

Catalogue Note:
Reference 3450 was the direct descendant of the highly successful reference 3448, the world's first self-winding perpetual calendar wristwatch. The most obvious difference between the 3450 and 3448 is the addition of a leap year indicator to the dial. Other differences include the case back which, on the 3450, has slightly different proportions and a ‘tongue’ to allow removal of the case back. The 3450 was manufactured with a slightly raised bezel to allow for the incorporation of a sapphire crystal, a feature absent from all but the very last series of Ref. 3448 models.

Patek Philippe introduced Ref. 3450 in 1981 and production of the model seems to have totalled just 244 pieces. The 3450 featured a new movement calibre, 27-460 QB (Quantieme Bissextile), which included the provision for leap year indication on the dial between 3 & 4 o’clock. The 3450 reference is considered rare and difficult to find as it was produced for such a short period of time, only between 1981 and 1985.

Provenance:
Phillips, Geneva, June 2020, Lot 154