ref.3940
Yellow, 1st series

An extremely fine and very rare 18k yellow self-winding wristwatch with perpetual calendar and moon phase.
With Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of this watch with silvered dial and applied yellow gold hour markers in 1987 and subsequent sale on June 10th., 1987.
The Patek Philippe reference 3940 is undeniably one of the most iconic self-winding perpetual calendar launched in 1985, produced in four metals: yellow, pink, white gold and platinum, the reference was cased predominantly in yellow gold and remained in production until 2007. Debuted as a successor for the ref. 3450 with the all-new ultra-thin micro-rotor, the reference was first produced for famed retailer Chronometrie Beyer in Zürich in a limited edition of 25 pieces to celebrate its 225th anniversary, each individually numbered bearing the Beyer signature on the dial. Sought after by collectors, the reference then followed three series with nuances during each evolution.

The present watch belongs to the first series with a production of no more than 1300 pieces. These early specimens featured flat, sunken subsidiary dials displaying 24-hour indicator as well as the leap year indicator, later models will have a cross dividing the four sectors of the leap year.