Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Patek Philippe White Gold Ellipse ref. 3849/4, Sunburst Blue 'Sigma' Dial with Diamonds
- Maker / attribution
- Patek Philippe (maker)
- Date
- c. mid 1980s
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- white gold
- Stock no.
- OC3043
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Oliver & Clarke (OC3043)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Patek Philippe White Gold Ellipse Ref. 3849/4 - Sunburst Blue 'Sigma' Dial w/ Diamonds (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Oliver & Clarke (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number OC3043), this is a wristwatch by Patek Philippe, made in Switzerland, dated c. mid 1980s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: white gold. 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
As far as brand identity goes, Patek Philippe, unlike many brands, is seemingly free of being associated with any one model in particular, and instead enjoys a reputation for quality, craftsmanship, and a long-standing pedigree as a top Swiss manufacturer. Of course, there are models and model families that are nothing short of icons (e.g., Nautilus, Calatrava, Grand Complications, etc.) but if you dig deep enough there are hidden gems that do not even fall into any of these families. Take the white gold bracelet dress watch that we have here for example. Dating to circa the mid-1980s, this piece comes from the 'Ellipse' family of watches. Produced almost entirely in precious metals, the designs span a wide range of sizes, shapes, and movement, but the general shape and design of the piece that we have here with its integrated-style 'woven' bracelet and sunburst blue dial are perhaps the most sought after. It features a solid white gold construction with a factory-applied diamond bezel, a stunning 'woven' bracelet with a signed, locking clasp, and a sapphire cabochon crown. Inside, the dial is the prototypical sunburst blue color so closely associated with the model family, with factory applied diamond quadrant indices and a white gold 'dauphine' handset. It is powered by one of Patek's manual-winding movements. Calatrava or complications aren't for you? Look no further.
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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