Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Patek Philippe Calatrava ref. 3429/1J, Sunburst Silver Dial
- Maker / attribution
- Patek Philippe (maker)
- Date
- c. 1961
- Historical period
- Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- silver
- Dimensions
- Case 35 mm
- Stock no.
- OC3179
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Oliver & Clarke (OC3179)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref. 3429/1J - Sunburst Silver Dial (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Oliver & Clarke (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number OC3179), this is a wristwatch by Patek Philippe, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1961. The Atlas places it in the Modern Mechanical Horology period (1945 – 1969) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: silver. Recorded dimensions: Case 35 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 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 — Oliver & Clarke
The Patek Philippe Calatrava. Arguably the brands most iconic model line, and purest expression of the brand. Their raison d'etre if you will. The line has been a hit since its debut in 1932. So much so, that the name "Calatrava" itself has become something of a byword within the watch industry for traditionally styled, no-frills dress watches that simply tell the time. Over the course of its nearly 100-years of production, there have been seemingly countless iterations within the line, with variations in the metal they are made in, with their size, dial configurations, and eventually, complications. The Calatrava that we have here, a Reference 3429/1J, is gorgeous yellow gold piece dating to circa 1961. It case an almost perfectly sized 35mm in diameter, with nice symmetrical sculpted lugs, a screw-down caseback, and a 'double PP' signed crown. It has been very lightly previously polished and shows normal signs of wear throughout. The silver dial is beautifully preserved, with consistent color and crisp sunburst finishing throughout. It also features applied indices and a matching 'pencil' handset. Inside, Patek's Calibre 27-460 automatic-winding movement beats away within. Last but not least, this piece is further elevated by coming fitted with a matching yellow gold 'woven' bracelet with a signed locking clasp. There are watches, and then there are watches! This is one of the latter.
Historical context
Modern Mechanical Horology (1945 – 1969)
Tool watches for divers, pilots and astronauts; electric watches anticipate the electronic age.
The classic era of the mechanical wristwatch: dive watches, chronographs for motor racing and space flight, GMT watches for jet travel, slim dress watches, automatic calendars, and the rise of Japanese manufacturers alongside Swiss, American, German and Soviet industries.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking
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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