PATEK PHILIPPE. A FINE AND RARE 18K GOLD AUTOMATIC PERPETUAL CALENDAR WRISTWATCH WITH MOON PHASES, 24 HOUR AND LEAP YEAR INDICATION SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENEVE, REF. 3940, FIRST SERIES, MOVEMENT NO. 770'577, CASE NO. 2'838'568, MANUFACTURED IN 1987 Movement: Cal. 240 Q, automatic, 27 jewels, Geneva seal, signed Dial: First series silvered dial with German calendar, signed Case: Snap on back, 36 mm. diam., signed With: 18k gold Patek Philippe buckle, Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch with German calendar in 1987 and its subsequent sale on 30 June 1987
The present watch is part of the first series of Reference 3940 which was produced by Patek Philippe for only three years. The main design variants between earlier and later series include sunken subsidiary dials as opposed to the rather beveled version and a plain leap year dial rather than the one with the quarter separations. The rarity of the present lot is further enhanced by the German calendar which is confirmed by the Extract of Archives.