Wristwatches · Wristwatch
18ct white gold Patek Philippe ref. 3620/1 Ellipse wristwatch with baguette diamond set bezel, 1972
- Maker / attribution
- Patek Philippe (maker)
- Date
- 1972
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- white gold
- Dimensions
- Case 35 mm
- Stock no.
- G3239
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Somlo Antiques (G3239)
- Catalogue title (original)
- 18ct white gold Patek Philippe ref. 3620/1 Ellipse wristwatch with baguette diamond set bezel. Made 1972 (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Somlo Antiques (dealer), London (stock number G3239), this is a wristwatch by Patek Philippe, made in Switzerland, dated 1972. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: white gold. Recorded dimensions: Case 35 mm. The record is illustrated with 4 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Somlo Antiques
The Patek Philippe Ellipse was created in 1968 with its design inspired by the Golden Section, also known as 'the divine proportion'. The reference 3548 was produced from 1967 until 1976 . It was together with Ref. 3546 Patek Philippe's first Ellipse models. The exquisite blue dial on this model is actually made from gold which has been transformed by a special Patek Philippe process to look blue. Patek Philippe subsequently introduced the reference 3930 in 1976 and remained in production until the late 1980’s. Although published in Patek Philippe's sales catalogues, it appears that the models cased in stainless steel were borrowed to clients while their watches were being serviced. Some pieces were also given as reward to deserving employees. Brand: Patek Philippe Made: 1972 Model: Ellipse Reference: 3620/1 Calibre: 175 Movement: Automatic Material: 18ct white gold Features/complications: Bezel set with 64 baguette cut diamonds, weighing approx. 4.47 cts Dial: Metallic blue dial with velvet finish featuring 12 diamond hour markers and black baton shaped hands Case dimensions: 30 x 35mm Bracelet/strap: 18ct white gold bracelet approximately 165mm in length Accessories: Extract from the Archives SKU: 3239
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
Atlas type guide
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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