Patek Philippe

Baron - Mr Red
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Patek Philippe Reference 3417 - some more twists in the history

There are not many references within Patek Philippe history that came in just stainless steel. Of course, there are several where steel was an option but very few where steel was the only option. One specific example of this genre is the reference 3417. I have reviewed this watch before, and attach that link.

www.watchprosite.com

However, I thought it might be interesting to review it again with a few added twists.

The inspiration for the 3417 almost certainly originated from a watch produced specially for Admiral Richard Byrd in 1955. Byrd had been appointed as Commander of Operation Deep Freeze which centred around the establishment of a US research station in the Antarctica. As a gift to Byrd, Patek Philippe developed a watch that was to be used in the polar regions where the magnetic fields were especially strong. The watch had an inner soft iron case, was water resistant, cased in steel and given the reference number 778. Reference 778, manufactured in 1955 proved the inspiration for Patek Philippe’s first dedicated amagnetic watch, Reference 3417, manufactured in 1958. I always find it interesting to discover the inspiration and origins of a watch.


The 27-AM-400 movement in the 3417 included beryllium bronze and duro-chrome and a soft iron inner case. The watch provides protection against magnetic fields up to 4.5 times the amount of magnetism that would typically stop an ordinary watch.


Although the 1950s saw the development of a number of amagnetic watches from the likes of Rolex, JLC and Omega, none could really compete with the finishing and artistry of the Patek Philippe 3417.


At the time, Patek Philippe advertising described the 3417 as “The World’s Foremost Watch.”