50 - Patek Philippe - Perpetual Calendar

Patek Philippe - Perpetual Calendar An extremely rare, highly elegant, rose gold Geneva neo-vintage wristwatch with perpetual calendar in German, 24-hour display, leap year indicator and moon phase – second series Movm. No. 772413, Ref. 3941, Cal. 240Q aut., Case No. 2875123, Dimensions 36 mm, circa 1990, Origin Schweiz, Original box, Original certificate, Accessories, gold original clasp Case: 18 K rose gold, glazed push back. Dial: Silvered sigma dial with "O SWISS O" designation. Movm.: Automatic. With References 3940 and 3941, Patek Philippe introduced a very small series of its new perpetual calendar in yellow gold in 1985. At the time, the watch was regarded as the thinnest automatic wristwatch with a perpetual calendar. Both references feature a case of approximately 36 mm, an automatic perpetual calendar with moon phase, 24-hour indication and leap-year display, as well as the ultra-thin calibre 240 Q with micro-rotor. The key difference between the two references was the case back: Reference 3940 was fitted with a solid case back, while Reference 3941 featured a display back. Interestingly, these case backs were not individually numbered. Instead, Patek Philippe placed the numbers inside the case, beneath the bezel. In response to growing demand for both variants, the company later produced the model with both caseback options available in parallel. In total, three different dial variants of reference 3941 exist: First Series, Early Second Series, and Late Second Series. The dial of the present watch corresponds to the "Late Second Series" of the later second execution of Reference 3941, already featuring the characteristic leap-year display at 3 o’clock, divided into four sectors by a fine crosshair. The more generously proportioned, bevelled and stepped subsidiary dials and the signature “PATEK PHILIPPE GENEVE” without accent clearly distinguish this execution from the early First-Series dials with their small, deeply recessed indications. Interestingly, the 3941 is known to exist in three case materials: yellow gold, white gold and rose gold. Yellow gold accounts for the majority of the examples found, at around 75 %, whilst rose gold is the rarest. However, it did not appear until very late in the production run of the 3941 and was fitted with the dials from the later second series. Around 1990, Patek Philippe ceased production of the reference 3941. Today, only around 50 examples of the reference 3941 are known to exist. The reference 3940 was produced for a much longer period and was replaced by the reference 5140 in 2007. The present timepiece is offered in excellent condition and represents an outstanding opportunity to acquire not only an exceptionally rare reference, but also one of Patek Philippe’s early modern perpetual calendars. Case: very good. Dial: very good. Movm.: very good, capable of running, cleaning recommended. Please note that leather straps made from endangered or protected species - such as alligator, crocodile, or lizard - are used in our catalogue or on our website for illustration purposes only. For customs-related reasons, such straps cannot be shipped outside the EU.