A FINE AND RARE WHITE GOLD AUTOMATIC PERPETUAL CALENDAR WRISTWATCH WITH MOON PHASES, Patek Philippe & Co., Genève, REF. 3448, NO. 1119226, CIRCA 1972

18k, Geneva striped nickel lever movement (cal.27-460 Q), stamped twice with the seal of Geneva, 37 jewels, free-sprung gyromax balance, adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, 18k gold engine turned rotor engraved with the Calatrava cross, silvered dial with baton numerals, silvered Dauphine hands, outer minute ring, apertures for day, month and moon phases, subsidiary dial for date, circular case with polished chamfered bezel, satin finished sides, faceted lugs, case, dial and movement signed, with an 18k white gold original buckle.

Ref. 3448

A perpetual calendar is a mechanism device programmed to adjust automatically to account for different lengths of the month (28, 30 or 31) and leap years, without manual correction. Ref. 3448 is one of the most fabulous automatic perpetual calendar wristwatches from Patek Philippe.

As the successor to the 2497 and 2438 -1, Ref. 3448 was launched in 1962 and ceased in 1981. According to Patek Philippe, only 586 pieces were made, and only 120 of them were made of white gold.

Bearing the best automatic mechanism, the Calibre 27'460, for its time, Ref. 3448 was the first automatic perpetual calendar ever made in the world. This fabulous timepiece forms a bridge between the vintage perpetual calendar wristwatches and the modern ones that followed it.

It is interesting to know that clients could order a simpler dial without moon phases on special request, which has never been seen in the Patek Philippe catalogue.

Patek Philippe's Ref. 3448 was launched in 1962 as the first ever automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch and its production ceased in 1981.  This rare wristwatch is one of approximately 110 pieces produced by Patek Philippe in white gold and only 35 examples are known to the market.