Dear IWS friends, welcome back to our magazine!
Today I want to tell you about a watch, or rather a reference, that is as beautiful as it is underrated until recently.
If I said chronograph, perpetual calendar and very elegant case, what might come to your mind?
For those of you who have not yet figured out what or, rather, which maison I am referring to, I am indeed talking about the historic Geneva house distinguished by the iconic Coltrava Cross.
Having come to this point, the Patek Philippe answer seems more than obvious, no?
With these clues different references of the house might come to mind but the one I want to focus on today is the 3970, that is, the worthy heir to the historic reference 2499 and, before that, to the very famous and much sought-after reference 1518, the holy grails of the Genevan Maison.
Without further ado, I need only take you with me on a tour of discovery of what I believe to be one of the maison’s most endearing watches.
So let us go and find out, in a simple but as clear as possible way, what are all the characteristics that distinguish this reference of high collecting potential from the Patek Maison.
Chronographs With Perpetual Calendar by Patek Philippe
Before we delve into the discovery of the Patek Philippe 3970, I think it is critically important to take a few steps back to understand how the creation of this reference came about.
Any worthy enthusiast who can call himself such, as soon as he hears the name “Patek Philippe with chronograph and perpetual calendar,” cannot help but think of the reference of references of the maison, namely the 1518.
And it is precisely from this model, which represents the world’s first mass-produced perpetual calendar and chronograph watch, that the history of the maison dedicated to this type of watch begins and which, to this day, composes a fundamental part of the Geneva-based house’s collection.
Born 1941, less than ten years after the brand was acquired by the Stern family, the current owners of the maison, the reference 1518 remained in production until 1954.
Made with a case in different materials, including steel, i.e., the rarest, this watch has always represented the Holy Grail for lovers of the brand and beyond.
Close to the period of production of the reference 1518, Patek Philippe introduced a new watch to the market, with characteristics almost similar to 1518, but with reference 2499.
The heir to one of the most sought-after Pateks ever, remained in production until 1985 and, to this day, is divided into four different series.
Coinciding with the end of production of reference 2499, Patek Philippe gave birth to a new watch, again with a chronograph and perpetual calendar.
And that is how reference 3970 was born, that is, a watch that, at first glance, resembles, in every way, the fourth production series of Patek watches with reference 2499.
Patek Philippe ref. 3970
In a world of collecting that is increasingly geared toward the search for knockout vintage pieces, I believe that a rightful place should be given to the so-called “neo-vintage,” that is, those prides produced from the late 1980s to the early, or so, 2000s.
And it is precisely in this category that we also find Patek Philippe’s reference 3970, i.e., a watch that, although it may be similar to the last series of the previous 2499 and, therefore, with a vintage flavor, turns out to all intents and purposes to be one of the maison’s first points of break with the vintage world, in order to introduce a watch concept, again with a vintage flavor, with chronograph and perpetual calendar, but with a design already marked by the maison’s modern vision.
Exactly in 1986, saw the light of day this reference which, in some ways, is still undervalued by the world of collectors and which can still be bought, in relation to the type of watch it represents, at “human” figures in its more “normal” versions.
Remaining in production until 2004, Reference 3970 is divided into four series, each characterized by minor aesthetic differences that can be seen in the hands, indexes, and casebacks.
In terms of numbers produced of such a watch, according to John Reardon, an expert on vintage Patek Philippe, the annual production of the 3970 was about 100 pieces, rising to about 300 in the last few years that the reference remained in production.
Distinguished by a case with a diameter of 36 mm, which is rather small compared to current measurements for the type of watch, the Patek Philippe 3970 was made in white, yellow, rose and platinum gold.
Looking at the dial of the watch, one can see the outer seconds scale, hour baton hour markers, the two windows at 12 o’clock indicating the day and month, the chronograph hour and continuous seconds counters, the leap year and 30-minute chronograph displays at 3 o’clock, the moon phase and date displays in the counter at 6 o’clock, and, finally, the central chronograph hour, minute and seconds hands.
Above the case on the right side, however, are the chronograph buttons at 13 and 16 o’clock, as well as the crown at 3 o’clock.
It is also possible to note the presence of dedicated calendar and moon phase setting buttons at 12, 10 and 18 o’clock, respectively, on the sides of the case.
The Caliber of the Patek Philippe ref. 3970
The years in which the Patek Philippe with reference 3970 was produced were those immediately following the well-known “quartz crisis.”
In those years, unlike in Patek today, watches were not powered by the so-called “manufacture” caliber.
In fact, the maison, like many others in the Swiss industry, relied on companies that specialized precisely in the production of watch gauges to produce their watch movements and then put their own hands on the finishing part.
The company’s choice for the production of the movement for Reference 3970 fell on what was then one of the few to stay afloat during the tumultuous period of the quartz crisis: Lemania.
Thus, on the basis of the Lemania 2310 (according to many experts, on the basis of the 2320 instead), the caliber CH 27-70 Q dedicated to Patek Philippe’s 3970 was born.
This is a hand-wound movement with a 60-hour power reserve also used for the later references 5970 and 5004 (with the addition of the rattrapante function).
Looking at the incredible hand-executed finishes of this movement, one can undoubtedly see the skill of Patek Philippe’s then master watchmakers.
First Series
As already anticipated, the whole course of production of Reference 3970, is divided into four different series.
Starting with the first one, produced only during the year 1986, we are in the presence of the rarest watches of the reference as it is estimated that only 100 examples were produced.
Above the silver-colored dial from the first series, we find the presence of leaf hands, baton hour markers, and subdials of a slightly different color than the dial.
The snap-in case back of this first series is closed and is made of the same material as the case, that is, yellow gold since, all examples of this first series were made exclusively of this material.
To date this is the rarest series to be found.
Second Series
The second series dedicated to the reference, is the one that begins to show the first real signs of modernization of the watch.
Produced from 1986 to 1991, this second series saw the addition of the letter “E” to the reference, becoming 3970E.
The “E” indicates the word “étanche,” which is the French word for “waterproof,” in that, on this second series, we find, instead of a snap-in case back, a screw-in case back that guarantees a certain degree of water resistance for the case.
In addition to this case back, the second series had also added the option for customers to request the watch with an additional sapphire crystal case back capable of allowing the watch owner to admire the beautiful hand-finished movement.
At the dial level, however, the two-tone subdials disappear in the second series in favor of those of the same color as the dial.
It is worth pointing out, however, that during the transition period from the first to the second series, watches with reference 3970, from the second series, were produced with “two-tone” dials as in the first series.
Unlike previous models in yellow gold only, for the second series we also find cases made in rose gold, white gold and platinum. A total production of about 650 specimens is estimated, of which those produced in white gold and platinum are among the rarest.
Third Series
The third series, on the other hand, produced from 1990 to 1995, has about 1350 examples produced, again with the materials used in the third series.
Looking at the dial of the watch, one can observe pointed baton hour markers and, instead of the leaf-shaped hands of the previous series, baton hands.
Overall, the lettering on the silver dial is much more pronounced than in the previous series.
In this third series it is possible to find specimens with both solid screw-down and sapphire crystal case backs.
In terms of rarity, having been produced in greater quantities than the earlier series, 3970 from this period turns out to have a lower market value and is more “easy to find.”
Fourth Series
The last series, the fourth series, produced from 1995 to 2004, has the least variation as it is almost the same as the third series.
One difference that can be noticed immediately, however, is the presence of a folding clasp on the strap made of the same material as the case, instead of the traditional pin buckle.
Like the previous series, the fourth was also produced in the four different metals, and there are a total of about 2,000 produced.
Special Models of Patek Philippe ref. 3970
Beyond the “traditional” series, like any self-respecting collectible Patek, we can also find some models of the reference 3970 that are more unique than rare.
These are watches with configurations that are completely different from those of “normal production,” especially at the dial level.
An early example of a rather unique reference 3970 is given by a model, sold in a Phillips auction, featuring a platinum case and paired with an unusual black dial with Breguet numerals.
Another example of a truly special Patek 3970 is the 3970 of famous guitarist and watch collector Eric Clapton, made with a white gold case combined with a fantastic salmon-colored dial, Breguet numerals and tachymeter scale.
These are just a couple of special variants of the reference 3970 and which, to date, surely represent the Holy Grail of the reference for every collector.
Final Thoughts
For those of you who have been following us for some time, you will have well understood by now how my passion toward this amazing world of hands started with vintage watches and then focused on what are the modern creations of independent maisons.
Speaking of the Patek Philippe 3970, as already mentioned above, we cannot properly say that we are in the vintage category since, this splendid reference, falls for all intents and purposes into the “neo-vintage” category.
This is a category of watches distinguished by the fact that they embody at their core the charm that only vintage watches are capable of having but, at the same time, lend the first point of break, design-wise, between the past and the modern of watchmaking.
Underestimated for a long time, the Patek Philippe 3970 I would say is starting to get the credit it deserves lately.
At the same time, however, unlike the house’s previous iconic references, the 2499 and 1518, we are still far from the insane figures recorded at international auctions.
Don’t get me wrong though, by this I absolutely do not mean that 3970 does not have what it takes to achieve amazing results but that, slowly, surely those who believe in this reference today will surely be “repaid” for believing in it early.
This is because, in my humble opinion, I find the Patek Philippe 3970 to be one of the maison’s most successful watches of this genre ever.
In fact, I find it has a perfect size, a timeless design, one of the most fascinating complications in watchmaking, and, above all, a beauty that will remain eternal.
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