Patek Philippe Calatrava Ref.3498 18ct White Gold 1965

We associate Patek Philippe with the best, but more particularly, understated elegance, craftsmanship, heritage, design, perfection and confidence.

Why This Watch Is Important! – The  Slimmest Ever Patek Philippe

This 1965 18ct white gold Patek Philippe Calatrava Calibre 175 has an ultra-thin watch movement which remains in production to this day. When launched in 1962, this was the thinnest watch produced by Patek Philippe and it was conceived as a response to the Vacheron Calibre.1003 and others, to produce the thinnest watches possible, within expected levels of accuracy and reliability.

The Dial

Please take a good look at the outstanding condition and classic beauty of this completely original, unrestored and untouched ivory-cream dial. The dial carries black ‘baton’ hour indices which are matched by the original ‘Index’ hands. Simple, symmetrical and perfectly well balanced.

The dial is simply signed ‘Patek Philippe’ and ‘Geneve’ just below 12 and ‘Swiss’ at the very bottom below 6.

The dial is original and unrestored and has been left untouched by our restoration team due to its superb condition. Usually, we restore the dials of the watches we sell, however we decided in this case to leave it alone, due to its unusually good condition and to retain its originality and charm for those who prefer this. It also helps to contrast with almost all of the other watch dials you see on our website, which have been restored. The hands, likewise, have also been left in their original condition.

Please note, studio lights, professional-grade digital cameras, and macro lenses can be very unkind to an unrestored vintage watch dial. Also the dial here measures less than 1.25 inches across, so the image you’re seeing may be between 5 – 25 times larger than the watch itself. Therefore please keep in mind you are seeing many tiny flaws which cannot be seen, or will be very hard to see with the naked eye, even under close examination. Suffice to say, on the wrist, in natural light, this dial looks much better and carries a great deal more charm than the photographs portray.

The Movement 

The Patek Philippe Calibre 175, 18 Jewel hand-wound movement is an amazingly thin 1.77mm and it is a technical tour de force. An antimagnetic, straight-line lever escapement, Gyromax balance adjusted to heat, cold, isochronism and five positions, self-compensating flat balance spring. Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin and others, competed with each other during the late 1950s and 1960s to produce the thinnest watches, within the constraints of expected levels of accuracy and reliability. It speaks to these companies credit, that both Patek’s Calibre.175 and Vacheron’s Calibre.1003 equivalent are still in production today.

The movement is in tip-top condition. The Geneva wave finishing on the bridge and plates was all applied by hand almost 50 years ago and looks bright with no signs of tarnishing. The rest of this movement is in equally good condition, indicating the watch has been properly cared for and regularly serviced.

The movement has been fully overhauled and serviced by a Master Watchmaker. This means dismantling the watch to all its component parts, careful inspection under high magnification, replacement where necessary with only genuine parts, then careful reassembly and adjustment, before final calibration in 5 positions. This watch winds, sets and runs accurately and reliably and at final testing and calibration, this watch was running within +7 seconds per day, averaged over 5 positions. Please bear in mind this is outstanding for any watch of this age so we are therefore highly confident in offering a 12-month warranty with this watch movement*.

The movement is all correctly signed ‘Patek Philippe & Co’, ‘Geneve’ along with the Calibre number 175 and the movement serial number 1131177 which dates this watch correctly to 1965.

*Please note – our 12 months’ warranty is only applicable if the list price is paid.

The Watch Case

The 18ct white gold case is of a two-piece construction to improve integrity and dust and moisture protection. It carries a thin integral bezel and gorgeous lugs. It is solid, elegant and of obviously very high quality.

The size of this watch is 32mm in diameter, excluding the correct Patek Philippe signed crown. The Patek Philippe model ref 3498 here measures just 4mm in depth including the lens. Few realise it today, but for the vast majority of the time the concept of a wristwatch has existed, 32mm was considered the perfect size for a gentleman’s dress watch and once the current fad for outsized watches has passed, we feel sure these smaller high-end vintage watches will become widely appreciated once again. The large press-fit case-back clicks into place with a solid reassuring ‘pop’, just as it should and importantly, is of full thickness, having never been inscribed.

The case, the case-back and bezel are all in superb condition with no marks or scratches visible to the naked eye. The watch has been beautifully well cared for and so after a close inspection, has simply required a careful clean and a gentle polish to bring it back to its current, almost as new condition.

Inside the case, the case-back all is signed correctly and as expected ‘Patek Philippe & Co.’, ‘Geneve’ and ‘Swiss’ with Swiss 18ct hallmarks, the model reference number 3498 and the case serial number 2836060.

As ever, our standard advice applies: Vintage watches should be kept clean and dry at all times.

The Strap and Buckle

The watch is fitted with a high-quality black italian leather strap, with a matching plain buckle. However, if a different colour or style of strap is preferred, please let us know and we will do our best to oblige free of charge. We carry tan, conker, dark brown and black straps in stock in plain padded leather, crocodile skin or lizard skin. We can also obtain most types and colours from our partners at ‘Watch Obsession’ within 48hrs.

The Box and Papers

Although there are no original papers with the watch, the numbers and markings are all correct, dating this watch to 1965.

Detailed particulars will be included with our purchase receipt for your interest and security. A separate insurance valuation for the replacement value of this watch will also be provided at the time of sale along with our unique ‘Lifetime Authenticity Guarantee’ which states: “If this watch proves to be anything less than 100% genuine, authentic and original, a full refund will be given at any time”.

The watch comes complete with a Patek Philippe presentation box, as shown in the photographs.

Payment and Delivery

If you would like to pay by bank transfer, we will be pleased to assist you with this. Similarly, if you wish to pay by International SWIFT or Bank Wire Transfer we will provide you with our BIC / Swift number and our IBAN number.

Please check the import duties and any taxes your government may apply, these are different for each country and unfortunately out of our control. We understand there may be some ‘loopholes’ that may help you avoid these charges; however, attempting to use these could impact our ongoing ability to serve our growing international customer base.

For those who happen to visit London on occasion, we are, of course, more than happy to store your watch until we can meet you in our offices in Kensington, London and hand your watch directly to you there.

As with all our watches, this watch will be sold under our 14 days no-quibble sale or return policy.

In Conclusion

Here we have a truly desirable vintage gold dress watch from horology’s most revered name which is truly a thing of beauty – to wear, use, treasure and enjoy. It will also make an excellent investment and family heirloom piece. Even though Patek prices continue to rise, we still feel outstanding examples such as this remain undervalued, particularly compared to the price of a new Patek Philippe.

In addition to being perfectly practical for everyday use, this watch will make an excellent investment and heirloom piece, as well as be something wonderful to use, wear, treasure and enjoy! Even though vintage gold Omega watch prices continue to climb, we still feel sure that top class examples such as this are underpriced. This is because as time passes and the world market for vintage gold Omega watches continues to grow, limited supply means prices will inevitably climb ever higher.

A word on our prices – We always try our hardest to acquire the very highest quality watches we can find, before restoring them to the highest possible standards. We then offer these at the fairest prices we can, taking into account our pre and post-sales care and service. This approach means we will never be the cheapest, but nor will we be the most expensive. Indeed there are some well-known stores in West London which are highly successful charging between two to three times the price you see here. We, therefore, consider our prices to be fair, given the quality of watches we have to offer.

Please note, we also welcome part exchanges. If you have a watch or a small collection for sale, please contact us as we will be happy to discuss this.

We will also be happy to Service your watch, Repair your watch or Restore your watch, all at ‘sensible’ prices. Please see here.

If you have any questions please call us on 020 7727 7095 or if calling from overseas on +44 207 727 7095.

Please take a look at our other fine vintage gold watches.

Thank you.