Property of a Palm Beach Lady
A FINE AND RARE PLATINUM PERPETUAL CALENDAR CHRONOGRAPH
WRISTWATCH WITH MOON PHASES REF 3970P
Manual winding nickel lever movement, 24 jewels • black dial, diamond indexes, platinum feuille hands, three subsidiary dials for 30-minute register combined with leap year, date combined with moon phases, and constant seconds combined with 24-hours, apertures for day and month • platinum case, concave bezel, round chronograph buttons,case, dial, and movement signed • platinum Patek Philippe bucklediameter 36 mm, thickness 12.5 mm

Ref. 3970 was created following the success of the exceptional and iconic Ref. 2499 . The design of the case of Ref. 3970, with its downturned fluted lugs, is clearly influenced by the form of the Ref. 2499. One main difference between the two models is the addition of the leap year indicator to the 3 o'clock subsidiary dial and 24-hour indicator to the 9 o'clock subsidiary dial. Patek Philippe first launched the Ref. 3970 in 1986 with a snap-on case back. Two years later into production, Patek modified the design to a screw-down water resistant type case back. The Ref. 3970E (for Etanche or water-resistant) was produced in yellow, white, and rose gold, and platinum.Today, the Ref. 3970 holds an important place within the canon of complicated wristwatches by Patek Philippe, along with its iconic predecessors, the 2499 and 1518. In 2004, Ref. 3970 was replaced by Ref. 5970. This newer model reverted back to the rectangular chronograph buttons last seen on the first series 2499 models, as well as angular lugs. In 2011, Ref. 5970 was replaced by 5270. Ref. 3970 is illustrated in Huber, M. & Banbery, A. Patek Philippe, Vol. II, Second Edition, p. 305.Box and stylus, no papers, working in good order at the time of this report, Thank you, Albert Levy albert@ablevys.com