Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar 3940R Second Series, 1995

Dealer description — S.Song Watches

The Patek Philippe 3940 is considered one of the most important watches in the manufacture's modern history. Introduced in 1985 alongside its sibling, the perpetual calendar chronograph 3970, it arrived at a particularly uncertain moment for the Swiss watch industry. The Quartz Crisis had decimated traditional Swiss watchmaking, and investment into complicated mechanical watches had largely disappeared. Yet under Philippe Stern, Patek Philippe did almost the opposite, introducing two highly complicated watches into regular production at precisely the moment when mechanical watchmaking appeared increasingly obsolete. The 3940 was particularly significant. While Patek Philippe had produced perpetual calendars for decades, these were historically made in extremely small quantities. The 3940 brought the complication into serial production and paired it with an entirely new automatic movement, the Calibre 240 Q. In many ways, it helped establish the template for Patek Philippe's modern perpetual calendar, both mechanically and aesthetically. Perhaps the greatest endorsement of the 3940 came from Philippe Stern himself. Despite having access to virtually anything produced by the manufacture, Stern famously chose a first-series 3940 with a Beyer-signed doré dial as his personal watch and wore it regularly. The configuration itself is exceptionally unusual, but more importantly, his decision to wear the 3940 says a great deal about the significance of the reference during one of the most formative periods in modern Patek Philippe history. Produced for more than two decades, the 3940 evolved gradually throughout its production, with collectors generally dividing the reference into three main series. Here, we have a later second-series example, distinguished by its bevelled subsidiary dials, cross divider within the leap-year indicator and the Swiss sigma signature positioned below the outer minute track. The typography is another subtle distinction. Second-series dials retain the more traditional serif typeface of the earlier watches, most easily identified by details such as the shape of the letter "J" and the numeral "5". With the introduction of the third series, these were replaced by a cleaner, more modern sans-serif font, making the typography of the second series another small but important link to the earlier 3940s. More importantly, this particular watch is a 3940R, crafted from 18-carat rose gold. While yellow gold, white gold and platinum examples can be found throughout the broader production of the reference, rose gold was only introduced towards the end of the second series. As a result, second-series examples in rose gold occupy a relatively narrow production window and are considerably less frequently encountered than the more familiar 3940J. The rose gold also changes the character of the watch considerably. While not so obvious at first glance, once put next to a yellow gold example, the difference becomes apparent. Its warm case is paired with an opaline dial, applied rose gold baton markers and matching dauphine hands. Despite displaying the day, date, month, leap year, 24-hour indication and moonphase, the dial remains remarkably coherent. Each subsidiary dial displays two sets of information, arranged within concentric circles to create a clear hierarchy across what is ultimately a very complicated display. The case itself measures just 36mm across and approximately 8.5mm thick. These proportions are an important part of what makes the 3940 so successful. It is an extremely complicated watch, yet with the shape and curvature of the lugs, on the wrist, it wears so naturally and elegantly. Powering it is the self-winding Calibre 240 Q. Its off-centred micro-rotor sits within the movement rather than above it, allowing Patek Philippe to accommodate the perpetual calendar mechanism while keeping the overall movement remarkably thin. This architecture was fundamental to the proportions of the 3940 and would go on to become one of Patek Philippe's most important modern movement families. The present example retains remarkably crisp hallmarks on the side of the case, a feature associated with earlier 3940 production before the hallmarks eventually migrated entirely to the backs of the lugs. On a highly polished rose gold case, their definition is a particularly nice indication of how well the watch has been preserved. For me, the 3940 is significant not simply because it is a perpetual calendar, but because of what it represented for Patek Philippe at the time. Introduced in the middle of one of the most difficult periods for Swiss mechanical watchmaking, it became the foundation for an entire generation of complicated Patek Philippe watches. The second-series 3940R takes that already important reference and adds another layer of rarity, with rose gold appearing only towards the end of the series. Combined with its beautifully preserved case and crisp side hallmarks, this is a particularly special example of one of Patek Philippe's most important modern watches. Oh, and also, I personally own one, given to me by my father, and I find it to be one of the nicest watches ever made. There's a difference between a watch that looks nice and a watch that is nice to wear. One is easier to do than the other, and the 3940 falls into the latter. It is a design masterpiece.