Patek Philippe 3979 and 3974 at auction

Auctions · · by Christian Bissener


Patek Philippe 3979 in yellow gold with white Roman numeral dial, small seconds and black strap

Among legendary vintage Patek Philippe watches, the 1526, 1518 and 2499 come first to mind. But the 3979, the first automatic minute repeater, and the 3974, the most complicated automatic watch of its time, are just as essential for a high-class collector.

Both were novelties for the house in 1989, and Patek Philippe asked the casemaker Jean-Pierre Hagmann to create the cases for these two references; only very few cases were made by Hagmann. That matters to anyone passionate about independent watchmaking. When I started Watch Collector in 2011, I began with Haldimann and Benzinger, and the independents have always had my attention. Probably only ten cases for the 3979 were made by Hagmann, and only a very limited number for the 3974.

I regard the two references as the last truly vintage, horological watches before industrial production took over. They tick every box: complication, novelty, independent casemaker, rarity, and a still-vintage character.

Both were offered at Phillips: the 3979 and the 3974.

Patek Philippe 3979

Yellow gold wristwatch with side profile of the case, crown and lugs on a grey stone surface
The 3979, with its Hagmann case

Open caseback of a yellow gold watch showing the hand-finished movement with gold rotor
The movement of the 3979 with its gold rotor

Patek Philippe 3974

Yellow gold perpetual calendar wristwatch with silver dial, sub-dials and moon phase on a taupe strap
The 3974: perpetual calendar with moon phase

Side view of a yellow gold case showing the dial and moon phase window
The 3974 in profile

Caseback of the yellow gold perpetual calendar showing gold rotor and engraved text
The movement of the 3974