189 Patek Philippe An impressively rare and very attractive, Perpetual Calendar chronograph, moon phases wristwatch in white gold, with diamond-set bezel, certificate and solid caseback, reference 3990G.

Estimate: € 200.000 –⁠ 400.000

When Patek Philippe introduced reference 3990, it wasn’t merely creating another perpetual calendar chronograph—it was distilling generations of watchmaking mastery into a timepiece that shimmered with both mechanical brilliance and aesthetic refinement. Emerging in the mid-1990s, with approximately 10 examples having appeared to market in this configuation, the 3990 was based on the revered reference 3970, yet elevated to another realm entirely through the addition of a factory-set baguette diamond bezel and diamond hour markers—transforming an icon into an objet d’art. Crafted entirely in white gold, this example bears all the gravitas one expects from Patek Philippe’s grand complications. What truly sets this watch apart, however, is also the dial: a rich grey ardoise tone that exudes sophistication and modernity, where the moonphase at six o’clock seems to float beneath a canopy of diamonds. The dial architecture is harmonious: two apertures at 12 for day and month, and three sunken sub-dials for chronograph and calendar indications, all placed with the precision of a classical composer. To own a 3990 is to hold a piece of Patek Philippe’s most refined experimentation—a brief and brilliant expression of excess done the Geneva way: with restraint, discipline, and perfection. Accompanied by its Certificate of Origin and its solid caseback, the present lot is a celebration of one of the last complicated Patek Philippes born before the rise of the modern collector era.