Patek Philippe

Hi all, For the past few months, I have been looking on-off for a mint-condition 3940J/G to purchase. I don't usually buy pre-owned but since this reference was discontinued over 10 years ago, this's the only option. My main criteria is that it must come ...  

( 700) and very few of the second serie hade différent deal...

It is still in a nadir stage due to being unfashionably small. Same with 5050... Stick with gen 1 or 2 but remember it might be hard to deaccession for maybe a decade or 3... But if you like / love it go with your heart. The greatest value to a Purist ent... 

if one were to stick with a third series dial, given it was in production for so long, is there any intrinsic value for an earlier one (produced say in the 1st year, 1990) vs a later one (say 2000)?

Deployante is not correct, is for Ellipse.

...welcome here ! It is always a pleasure to welcome a new member and if he arrives just at the edge of the new year and is a Patek aficionado it can be only a good sign ! To come back to your question, I cannot tell you what is good or bad or tell you wh... 

Thanks for your kind words and detailed reply Mike. One downside with the 3940P is that it only comes with solid case back. For a newbie like me, I likes the sapphire back so I can view the movement: chuckle.

In that case I would go for a R or a G version. Both are stunning... I actually owned G, R, and P in my horological journey and R and P are the 2 ones that made my heart beat faster, so if P is out for you choice becomes obvious... . Good luck with your c... 

In all versions 3940 is a wonderful watch to wear. I would go for a version with two case backs and correct deployment buckle. Have you checked the red gold version? Even I'm not a big fan of coloured metals, 3940R is stunning. Best, Kari

Here is my 3940R...a fantastic every day watch. ...  

Ref. 3940 is not a big collectors' item but a fantastic watch to wear. An iconic perpetual calendar regardless the version. Best, Kari

Every time I see this picture I get goose bumps. It is the best pic of this reference I have ever seen. Happy New Year. CB

Thanks all for your comments. As you can see, I’m new to this hobby and any insights/suggestions is most welcome. Is it because this reference was made for so long with production ~7,000pcs (source Hodinkee)? Or is it due to the (relatively) small size? T... 

700 pcs, the big difference is not only the dial bat the year indication; this was "springing"(complication) after streiking... ...  

The small size and large production numbers make it less collectible I think. Many Patek collectors gravitate towards pieces that are rare such as the amazing “London Edition “3940 with a salmon colored dial. Only 5 pieces made. A forum member has one and... 

I have looked around a little so far. I find many 3970s incomplete, either missing box or missing certificate of origin or the extra case back. . I feel that a complete set is a must. The other thing to consider is when buying the 3rd series 3970E, many m... 

Even though this’s a common reference, dealers in Australia seldom see it. So I’ll be doing some (watch) shopping when I’m in HK next month . Given the importance of condition, I’ll be very reluctant to purchase without seeing it first.