Patek Philippe

The legendary reference 2526 marked a significant milestone for Patek Philippe as their first automatic wristwatch in history. Although their first, Patek Philippe took their time to refine and hone their self-winding movement, leading to a mechanism so fine and beautiful that it is seemingly eternal in its praise. In fact, even in the present day, many still regard it as the finest movement to be housed in a wristwatch.

It should then come as no surprise that its successor, reference 3428, also came to receive such praise. In fact, reference 3248 is one of, if not the finest automatic watches to grace the 1960s. It was minimal in presentation like most of the watches in the Calatrava collection, yet it was intricately powered by Patek Philippe’s new automatic calibre 27-460. With a thinner, newer rotor, the reference 3428 immortalized the already timeless design of the 2526 with a refreshing new breath of novelty and technology.

Moreover like the original, the 3428 still features a stunning enamel dial, a work of art practically impervious to fading. Also amplifying the watch’s elegant allure, the magnificent enamel dial is housed in a precious pink gold case, a rarer metal compared to normal yellow gold examples. With production numbers far less than the reference 2526, the current lot presents an elusive opportunity to acquire an extraordinary piece of vintage Patek Philippe. Approximately only 5 examples in pink gold are known to the market.