Patek Philippe Ref 3939 watch tops Hong Kong auction at nearly HK$4m

Selling alongside some exciting Jaeger LeCoultre, the Patek Philippe Ref 3939 watch beat its estimate

We've already reported on the remarkable triple of Jaeger LeCoultre watches which sold in a recent Hong Kong auction.

Never offered for sale before, the set, known as Hybris Mecanique, was led by an extraordinary Reverso Triptyque Grand Complication, which sold for HK$2.54m. The piece is packed with goodies from a visible tourbillion to a sidereal time counter.

Fascinating as the Jaeger LeCoultre watches will have been to fine watch fanatics, their eyes will inevitable have been drawn to a particular timepiece which is one of the few in the world to have a widely recognised reference number. It proved to be the star of the show.

This was a Patek Philippe Ref. 3939 Tourbillon Minute Repeater. The classic watch is encased in a pink gold and enamel dial. That's significant, as it seems that this was only the second 3939 to be sold in pink gold at auction anywhere.

The deceptively simple-looking Patek Philippe pink gold watch ref 3939

One of the later examples of the watch for which production ran from 1992 to 2011, the 2010 watch owes a lot to Breguet, with Breguet numerals, Breguet hands and even the self-compensating free-sprung Breguet balance spring.

Accompanied by its original case, the timepiece had been listed at HK$2.75m-3.2m it proved irresistible to many collectors and the final price was an auction-topping HK$3.98m (roughly US$513,200).

Collectors on the lookout for a fine Swiss watch but without millions of dollars available should consider this timepiece by the Swiss luxury watchmakers, Longines, which we have available for sale, right now.

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Images: Antiquorum