A gold automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases and leap year indication, Patek Philippe & Co., Genève, Movement No.1119825, Case No. 2808577, Ref. 3450, 2nd Series, Circa 1985

18k, damascened nickel lever movement, 37 jewels, stamped twice with the Seal of Geneva, Gyromax balance, free-sprung regulator, adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and 5 positions, 18k gold engine-turned rotor engraved with the Calatrava cross, silvered matte dial, applied faceted baton numerals, apertures for day, month and leap year, subsidiary dial indicating date combined with phases of the moon, circular case with satin-finished sides and sunken crown, polished chamfered bezel, faceted lugs, snap back, case, dial and movement signed, with an 18k gold Patek Philippe buckle.

Accompanied by a Patek Philippe Certificate of Origin, instruction manual, booklets, mahogany Patek Philippe presentation box with outer packaging.

The accompanying Certificate of Origin confirms that this wristwatch was sold on July 16th, 1985 by Lindner Juwelier in Germany. 

Production of reference 3450 began in 1981 and ceased in 1985. It appears that in total just 244 pieces were made. As the successor to reference 3448, the cases of the two references are slightly different. Manufactured by different case makers, the 3450 has a thicker bezel and sapphire crystal. In addition, the reference 3450's snap case back is some 2mm smaller than that of the reference 3448.

Of course, of particular note, is the visible aperture for the leap year indication. In the first series of the reference, the leap year indicator used Arabic numerals with a red dot appearing on the leap year. The second series, to which the present lot belongs, featured Roman numerals for each year.

For an example of this reference, see Huber & Banbery, Patek Philippe Wristwatches, Vol. 2, Second Edition, p.290, pl.499a.