Five Rare Vintage Patek Philippes You Must Not Miss

Outside of the major house’s watch auctions, it’s relatively unusual to see such a high-quality line-up of vintage Patek Philippes for sale. Yet here we are, with a pair of extremely limited edition minute repeaters and no less than three ultra-rare perpetual calendars, each of which has its own points of collectible interest. Let’s take a closer look. 

Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar with Center Seconds and Moonphases Ref. 2497J

A true piece of horological history, the Patek Philippe ref. 2497J was the world’s first perpetual calendar wristwatch with a central seconds hand when it was launched in 1951. It remained in production for 12 years, during which time 179 examples were produced and the piece you see before you is the very final example ever made, bearing the movement number 888.178. 

The ref. 2497 was produced in two different series, the first of which featured leaf hands and alternating dot and Arabic numeral hour markers, while the second featured stick hour markers and undeniably attractive dauphine hands. As you can see, this is the final wristwatch produced in that second series and features a 37mm yellow gold case that is almost identical to the coveted ref. 2499, with a charmingly scalloped bezel and stepped lugs. 

Beneath its solid gold snap caseback is the manually wound calibre 27 SCQ (standing for Seconde au Centre Quantième), which is an adapted version of the calibre 27 SC to offer a perpetual calendar function. The Patek Philippe ref. 2497 was the final perpetual calendar to be offered before the introduction of automatic winding perpetual calendars in the ref. 3448, which was introduced in 1962 and remained in production for 18 years. Over nearly two decades, a total of 586 examples were made, further underscoring the rarity and significance of the ref. 2497. 

Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar White Gold “Padellone” Ref. 3448G

Following on from the ref. 2497, it’s fitting to next take a closer look at its successor within the Patek Philippe perpetual calendar lineage — the ref. 3448. However, while the ref. 3448 was produced in greater numbers than its predecessor, the example you see here is one of the rarest examples to ever leave the Genevan watchmaker’s factory.

Before we get into the details of what makes this example special, the ref. 3448 was produced from 1962 until 1980 and stood out against other complicated Patek Philippe references thanks to its solid 37.5mm case. Designed by Antoine Gerlach, the master case maker who was also responsible for producing the first three-piece cases of the legendary Calatrava ref. 96, the case of the ref. 3448 is distinguished by its crisp angular lugs which are an unmistakably modern update to Patek Philippe’s design philosophy. Typically featuring a solid metal snap-on caseback (there were also a handful of exhibition casebacks made), the sharpness of the lugs are futuristic, while the polished bezel and proportions of the case earned it several nicknames from Italian collectors including "Disco Volante", “Flying Saucer”, and “Padellone” (Italian for large frying pan). 

The movement of the ref. 3448 is another key detail in its significance within the Patek Philippe archives, as the first automatic perpetual calendar ever produced by the Genevan watchmaker and the only serially produced automatic perpetual calendar of any manufacturer at the time. Beneath the dial of the ref. 3448 is the calibre 27-460 Q, which was based on the time-only calibre 27-460 (the predecessor of which was Patek Philippe’s first ever automatic calibre 12-600 AT) and was eventually improved on with the calibre 27-460 QB that featured a leap year indicator. It offered up to 38 hours of power reserve when fully wound, and featured a solid gold rotor as well as a free-sprung Gyromax balance. 

You might not notice it from a quick glance, but what makes this specific ref. 3448 so special is the “Patek Philippe Geneve” signature on the dial appearing above the calendar windows, rather than below where it’s found in almost all other examples. From my research, I can find only two other examples of so-called “Topsider” ref. 3448s, one of which also featured the “Tiffany & Co.” double-signature from 1972, and the other boasts a possibly unique integrated white gold bracelet from 1978. 

For the Phillips auctioneer Aurel Bacs to describe the white metal ref. 3448 as “simply one the greatest wristwatches ever created by mankind,” it’s undoubtedly one of the most important watches Patek Philippe has produced. Additionally, considering this is one of a possible handful of “Topsider” ref. 3448 examples, alongside the fact that of the 586 pieces made of the ref. 3448 only around 50 were cased in white gold, the watch you see before you is a true collector’s piece. 

Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Yellow Gold Double-Signed “GÜBELIN” Ref. 3450J

The final perpetual calendar on the table for discussion today is the ref. 3450, and more specifically this third series double-signed Gübelin example in yellow gold. Produced from 1981 until 1985, the short manufacturing run saw the production of just 244 examples of the ref. 3450, all of which can be distinguished from their ref. 3448 predecessors thanks to the leap year indicator at the 3:30 position. 

The ref. 3450 features almost the same 37.5mm case as the ref. 3448, with its distinctively sharp lugs, polished bezel, and snap-on caseback. Unlike the relatively rare exhibition casebacks of the ref. 3448, however, there were a larger number of ref. 3450 examples produced with a caseback designed to show off the movement. Despite being more than four decades old, the case size feels perfectly contemporary in its proportions, adding to its desirability and helping it stand apart from its truly “vintage” siblings.

As far as the first, second, and third series examples of the ref. 3450, the first series featured Arabic numerals and a red dot to indicate the leap year (around 40 known examples), while the little-known second series featured Arabic numerals for all four leap years (only a handful are known to exist). The third and final series featured a leap year indicator with Roman numerals and is the most commonly found. Beyond the additional leap year indicator, the dial of the ref. 3450 remains delightfully clean in its design, with central calendar apertures at 12 o’clock that are thoughtfully balanced out with the date and moonphase indicator at 6 o’clock. 

Cased within the ref. 3450 is the calibre 27-460 QB, which succeeded the calibre 27-460 Q of the ref. 3448 with the addition of the leap year indicator. As you’d expect, it boasts a solid gold winding rotor, Gyromax balance, and a self-compensating free-sprung Breguet balance spring. 

While the ref. 3450 is an objectively rare watch by almost any standard, the presence of the ​​​​double-signed Gübelin dial makes this specific example one of only a few known to exist. As has been the case with the other perpetual calendars we’ve looked at so far, the details are what makes it so special.

Patek Philippe Minute Repeater Officer Case Ref. 5029P & Ref. 5029R

Within the many-tiered echelons of Patek Philippe collecting, chiming watches are some of the most coveted and collectible references to ever leave the brand’s complications workshops. The myth goes that every chiming watch is personally listened to and approved by the President of Patek Philippe, and is only delivered to the client once it has demonstrated sufficient strength and clarity of sound. Unsurprisingly, it’s well-known that Patek Philippe minute repeaters are some of the highest quality in the world. 

Here we have not one, but two examples of the Patek Philippe ref. 5029 Minute Repeater with officer cases, crafted from platinum and pink gold respectively. The ref. 5029 was launched by Patek Philippe in 1997 as a limited edition of just 10 pieces each in platinum, yellow gold, and pink gold, to celebrate the opening of a new watchmaking workshop in Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva. With just 30 pieces produced of the ref. 5029, the obvious rarity of these watches is only a part of what makes up their compelling story. 

Beginning with one of the most important details of these watches, the 35mm precious metal cases were made by the legendary case maker Jean-Pierre Hagmann (with both enjoying the JHP hallmark inside the caseback). Known for his traditional methods that reject modern automated techniques, Hagmann designs his cases with a pencil and graph paper and has worked more recently with the enormously successful independent watchmaker Rexhep Rexhepi on his Chronomètre Contemporain II. 

It’s also understood that of all the metals used for minute repeater cases, the favourite of the then Patek Philippe President Philippe Stern was rose gold, thanks to the porosity of the copper within the alloy (typically around 20%). That isn’t to discount the quality of the platinum-cased ref. 5029, however, which is more labour-intensive to manufacture and requires at least 25% more work for Hagmann to achieve the same result.

Beneath the hinged officer-style caseback that is engraved with “Commemoration 1997”, we find the beating mechanical hearts of these remarkable timepieces. The movement found within both the ref. 5029R and ref. 5029P is the automatic calibre R 27 PS, which features a 22k gold micro-rotor winding mechanism that allows for two larger, richer-sounding gongs. The movements are also a COSC-certified chronometer-grade caliber, with a Gyromax balance, and the iconic Geneva Seal stamped onto the expertly finished bridges. 

Arriving at the dials, the platinum edition features an inky black dial with white metal hands and applied Breguet hour markers, while the pink-gold version features a champagne-tone dial with the same hands and hour markers in pink gold. Just the Patek Philippe logo at 12 o’clock and the seconds track on the subdial are printed onto the surface of the respective dials, which each perfectly represent the traditional classicism of the watchmaker’s philosophy.

As two of just 30 pieces made, these Jean-Pierre Hagmann-crafted ref. 5029 minute repeaters are a pinnacle of Patek Philippe collecting.