PATEK PHILIPPE WHITE GOLD REF. 3970EG

The ref. 3970 was released in 1986 and replaced the ref. 2499 as the flagship perpetual calendar chronograph of the marque. Utilizing a Patek Philippe finished Lemania caliber, rather than the Valjoux caliber of its predecessor, the ref. 3970 remained in production for almost 20 years.

Today many collectors find the ref. 3970 the ultimate ‘bargain’ of Patek Philippe’s high complication watches. Occasionally priced under 100,000 USD, the ref. 3970 is the watch of choice for a wearable complicated watch. However, be warned, interest in this reference is growing by the minute. Astute buyers are seeing the ref. 3970 for what it is: a benchmark reference that is only increasing in popularity and becoming the trophy purchase of a new generation of collectors.

Much has been written on the reference (and more in the works) but it is highly recommended you read Cara Barrett’s In-Depth article on Hodinkee to get a detailed overview of the ref. 3970.

The presently offered example is from 1999 and is an example from the fourth and final series of the reference. Within the fourth series, the white gold version is the rarest of all case colors. Finely preserved, this white gold ref. 3970 is complete with box, original (open) certificate from the retailer ‘Pisa, Milan’, extra case back, stylus and white gold folding clasp.

Please visit Collectability’s YouTube channel for a detailed look at this iconic reference.

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