Patek Philippe Platinum Perpetual Calendar Watch Ref. 3940, Second Series

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Few watches better represent the transition between vintage and modern Patek Philippe than the reference 3940. Introduced in 1985 under Philippe Stern, the 3940 reimagined the manufactures automatic perpetual calendar in a remarkably restrained form: just 36mm across, exceptionally thin, and with a dial architecture that communicated a great deal of information without sacrificing elegance.

This example was manufactured in 1995 and sold in 1996, placing it at the very end of what collectors generally classify as the late second series. These transitional watches are particularly interesting, combining much of the typography and character of the earlier 3940s with details that would soon carry into the third series. The cross-divided leap-year indication at three oclock is characteristic of the late second series, while the serif typography and low-positioned SWISS signature below the minute track distinguish it from the later third-series dial.

The dial itself is one of the great achievements of modern Patek Philippe design. Three recessed registers organize the perpetual calendar: day and 24-hour indication at nine, month and leap year at three, and the date surrounding a moonphase display at six. Applied white-metal indexes and dauphine hands sit against the softly brushed opaline surface, while the blue and gold moonphase provides the only real injection of color. Despite the amount of information displayed, the result remains remarkably calm and balanced.

Its platinum case gives this example an altogether different character from the more commonly encountered yellow-gold 3940. The cool tone and visual discretion of the metal suit the 3940 particularly well, making what was already an understated grand complication even more reserved.

Inside is Patek Philippes automatic calibre 240 Q, built around the manufactures ultra-thin micro-rotor architecture. The complete perpetual-calendar movement measures only 3.75mm thick, allowing Patek Philippe to house a mechanically sophisticated complication within the remarkably slender profile that has become one of the 3940s defining characteristics.

The reference 3940 has increasingly come to be viewed as one of the defining Patek Philippe watches of the late twentieth century. It possesses the complication and traditional finishing associated with the manufactures great postwar perpetual calendars, yet belongs unmistakably to the Philippe Stern era. This 1995 platinum late-second-series example sits at an especially interesting point in that history, combining the character of the earlier 3940s with the mature execution of a reference that would remain in production for another decade.