Patek Philippe ‘The First 3970’, Reference 3970J | The earliest...
Dial: silvered
Calibre: cal. 27-70 Q manual winding, 24 jewels
Movement number: 875’000
Case: 18k yellow gold, snap-on case back
Case number: 2'824'130
Closure: 18k yellow gold Patek Philippe buckle
Size: 36.2 mm diameter
Signed: case, dial and movement
Accessories: Patek Philippe Certificate of Origin, presentation case with outer packaging, reference 3970 dossier and Tortella & Sons passport
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.
Catalogue Note:
Introduced in 1986 as the successor to the legendary reference 2499, the 3970 opened a new chapter in Patek Philippe’s lineage of perpetual calendar chronographs. The present watch stands at the very beginning of that story. Made in 1986 and bearing movement number 875’000, it is recognized as the first numbered example of the reference, hence its fitting designation, “The First 3970.”
The first series was produced for only around two years, with approximately 100 examples believed to have been made. These earliest watches are distinguished by their solid snap-on casebacks, before the second series introduced a screw-down caseback and with it the designation 3970E, the suffix “E” standing for étanche, or water-resistant. The present watch displays this important early construction within the beautifully proportioned 36.2 mm yellow gold case.
Its silvered dial captures the classical character of the first series, with applied yellow gold rectangular indexes and elegant feuille hands. Particularly attractive are the two-tone subsidiary registers, whose contrasting finish adds depth and visual richness to the dial while enhancing the legibility of the calendar and chronograph indications. Calendar apertures for the day and month sit at 12, balanced by twin subsidiary dials displaying the constant seconds, 30-minute register, leap year and 24-hour indications. At 6, the date surrounds the moon phase display. Despite the wealth of information, the composition remains beautifully balanced and remarkably legible.
At its heart lies perhaps the most fascinating element of the watch: movement number 875’000, the movement with which the reference 3970 began. The manually wound calibre 27-70 Q, based on the Lemania 2310, was extensively modified and beautifully finished by Patek Philippe, with finely bevelled bridges, polished components, and Côtes de Genève. Hidden beneath the solid case back, its beauty was intended not for display, but as an expression of traditional watchmaking at its highest level. With the 3970, Patek Philippe introduced leap year and 24-hour indications to its serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph, while continuing the extraordinary lineage established by references 1518 and 2499.
Beautifully preserved overall, the watch remains in excellent condition. The yellow gold case retains strong hallmarks and crisp definition throughout, while the distinctive fluting to the lugs remains particularly well preserved, emphasizing the refined detailing characteristic of the earliest 3970s. The watch is furthermore accompanied by its original Certificate of Origin, an increasingly desirable feature for collectors and an important testament to its authenticity and provenance. The watch also retains a particularly interesting detail: the last three digits of case number 2’824’130 are reproduced as “130” on the inside of the case, corresponding with the full number engraved to the inside of the case back and confirming that the two were made together.
More than simply an early 3970, the present watch is the first chapter of a reference that would remain in production for nearly two decades, and movement 875’000 is where it all began.
Provenance:
Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 24 June 2015, Lot 482
Antiquorum, Paris, 28 September 2005, Lot 307
Dial: silvered
Calibre: cal. 27-70 Q manual winding, 24 jewels
Movement number: 875’000
Case: 18k yellow gold, snap-on case back
Case number: 2'824'130
Closure: 18k yellow gold Patek Philippe buckle
Size: 36.2 mm diameter
Signed: case, dial and movement
Accessories: Patek Philippe Certificate of Origin, presentation case with outer packaging, reference 3970 dossier and Tortella & Sons passport
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.
Catalogue Note:
Introduced in 1986 as the successor to the legendary reference 2499, the 3970 opened a new chapter in Patek Philippe’s lineage of perpetual calendar chronographs. The present watch stands at the very beginning of that story. Made in 1986 and bearing movement number 875’000, it is recognized as the first numbered example of the reference, hence its fitting designation, “The First 3970.”
The first series was produced for only around two years, with approximately 100 examples believed to have been made. These earliest watches are distinguished by their solid snap-on casebacks, before the second series introduced a screw-down caseback and with it the designation 3970E, the suffix “E” standing for étanche, or water-resistant. The present watch displays this important early construction within the beautifully proportioned 36.2 mm yellow gold case.
Its silvered dial captures the classical character of the first series, with applied yellow gold rectangular indexes and elegant feuille hands. Particularly attractive are the two-tone subsidiary registers, whose contrasting finish adds depth and visual richness to the dial while enhancing the legibility of the calendar and chronograph indications. Calendar apertures for the day and month sit at 12, balanced by twin subsidiary dials displaying the constant seconds, 30-minute register, leap year and 24-hour indications. At 6, the date surrounds the moon phase display. Despite the wealth of information, the composition remains beautifully balanced and remarkably legible.
At its heart lies perhaps the most fascinating element of the watch: movement number 875’000, the movement with which the reference 3970 began. The manually wound calibre 27-70 Q, based on the Lemania 2310, was extensively modified and beautifully finished by Patek Philippe, with finely bevelled bridges, polished components, and Côtes de Genève. Hidden beneath the solid case back, its beauty was intended not for display, but as an expression of traditional watchmaking at its highest level. With the 3970, Patek Philippe introduced leap year and 24-hour indications to its serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph, while continuing the extraordinary lineage established by references 1518 and 2499.
Beautifully preserved overall, the watch remains in excellent condition. The yellow gold case retains strong hallmarks and crisp definition throughout, while the distinctive fluting to the lugs remains particularly well preserved, emphasizing the refined detailing characteristic of the earliest 3970s. The watch is furthermore accompanied by its original Certificate of Origin, an increasingly desirable feature for collectors and an important testament to its authenticity and provenance. The watch also retains a particularly interesting detail: the last three digits of case number 2’824’130 are reproduced as “130” on the inside of the case, corresponding with the full number engraved to the inside of the case back and confirming that the two were made together.
More than simply an early 3970, the present watch is the first chapter of a reference that would remain in production for nearly two decades, and movement 875’000 is where it all began.
Provenance:
Antiquorum, Hong Kong, 24 June 2015, Lot 482
Antiquorum, Paris, 28 September 2005, Lot 307
