It’s hard to stand out among the 194-lots in Phillips’ incredibly stacked upcoming Geneva auction. The catalog for The Geneva Watch Auction: XXI includes 36 watches from Patek Philippe, including familiar favorites like two ref. 5004s and an assortment of Nautilus and Aquanaut models.

But three watches are especially notable. These highlights are led by the only known ref. 3448 “Padellone” perpetual calendar in pink gold – a retailer-signed example at that – followed by a landmark “grand” complication with Hagmann case, and a Beyer-signed pocket watch with a portal to Amsterdam on the back.

The auction takes place on May 10 and 11, 2025, at the Hotel President Wilson in Geneva.

Lot 74: Patek Philippe ref. 3448 in pink gold signed “Freccero”

Patek Philippe’s first self-winding perpetual calendar, the ref. 3448, was primarily made in yellow or white gold – except for this example in pink gold. Besides the unique case material, this also has a retailer-signed dial.

In addition, it’s in incredible condition, with unpolished lugs so sharp you could almost cut yourself. It features an early “second series” dial, with a “dimple” style minute track and engraved, enamelled markings.

Even though the movement inside the ref. 3448 is one of the most beautiful automatics ever made, the cal. 27-460 doesn’t skate by on pretty privilege.

The calibre is technically competent: with a free-sprung gyro-max balance, overcoil hairspring, and Patek Philippe’s only (reliable) bi-directional winding system. This watch retains the original double-P crown, which was reserved for watches with the automatic cals. 12-600 and 27-460.

The excellent exterior condition continues inside. If you’re wondering why the rim of the rotor is red – that’s a protective layer of varnish used to protect the highly polished rim during manufacture. The varnish was supposed to be removed before being mounted to the movement, but that step seems to have slipped through the cracks. If it’s possible to be newer-than-new, this may be what it looks like.

The cal. 27-460. Image – Phillips

Before this watch surfaced in 2011 when it sold at Christie’s, it was rumored Patek Philippe built a pair of rose gold ref. 3448s for a South American retailer; this watch would imply the retailer was Freccero of Montevideo, Uruguay. Perhaps the possibility of a second example is already priced in, but the estimate is still a hefty CHF2.0-4.0 million.

Lot 103: Patek Philippe ref. 3974J minute repeater perpetual calendar

Patek Philippe launched its first in-house repeating movement, the R 27, as part of its 150th anniversary celebrations in 1989, ending Gerald Genta’s then-prominence in chiming wristwatches. The movement has remained in production for 36 years and counting, but it debuted in the refs. 3979 and 3974.

The latter was a multi-complication that added the perpetual calendar mechanism of the ref. 3940 onto the R 27 base movement, making the ref. 3974 the brand’s most complicated serially-produced wristwatch at the time. In fact, the ref. 3974 was one of the most complicated wristwatches of its day, competing with similar offerings from Gerald Genta and Blancpain.

The style of the ref. 3974 is typical for a Patek Philippe of the era, with an aesthetic descended from the Calatrava family. The 36 mm case is compact by modern standards, but has enough gravitas for larger wrists.

As hinted by the “JPH” stamp on the underside of the lugs, the case was made by the recently departed Jean-Pierre Hagmann. He was one of the case makers who can be credited with popularizing the recessed repeater slide seen on the ref. 3974 case, which was historically a characteristic of English pocket watches and rare in Switzerland until the last few decades.

Unlike the earlier self-winding repeating movements, the R27 movement in the ref. 3974 was designed from the ground up as an automatic movement. It employed a cleverly packaged winding system with micro-rotor on the same plane as the hammers. The R 27 is generally known to be reliable, which cannot be said for all complicated watches of the era.

Importantly, the R27 sounded significantly better than other wristwatch repeaters on the market at the time, helping establish Patek Philippe’s reputation for excellence in striking wristwatches. The calibre is essentially the same one found in the later refs. 5074 and 5374, but without the cathedral gongs of those references.

While the automatic R27 is more modest than its tourbillon cousin, the R TO 27, it remains a handsome, well-finished movement, with an engine-turned rotor that’s a nice touch.

The movement inside the ref. 3974 also bears the Poinçon de Genève, as it was made and finished within the canton of Geneva, which was not the case for all of the brand’s pre-1989 wristwatch repeaters that were mostly unique pieces.

Production of the ref. 3974 lasted until around 2000, a long span, but the number made remained fairly low, with the total being no more than 200. This, coupled with its historical significance and dial’s charismatic typography, makes the ref. 3974 a very desirable watch. The estimate is CHF250,000-500,000.

Lot 117: Patek Philippe ref. 866 pocket watch with miniature enamel painting

Pocket watch ref. 866 was often a platform for Patek Philippe’s artisanal crafts in the latter decades of the 20th century, with over a hundred unique examples made, mostly decorated with miniature enamelling, hand engraving, or both. All examples of the ref. 866 share clean, mid-century style cases and the same 17”’ pocket watch movement that Patek Philippe continues to use even today in its current Rare Handcrafts offerings.

Many of Patek Philippe’s finest pocket watches in the period were made for Zurich retailer Beyer, or even its then-proprietor, Theodore Beyer, who was a noted watch collector himself. This watch, ref. 866/109, combines miniature enamelling and a “Beyer” signature on the dial.

The case back features a reproduction of View of the Port of Amsterdam, a 17th-century Dutch painting. The miniature enamel painting is the work of G. Menni, a peer of Suzanne Rohr.

Menni completed at least 50 miniature enamel paintings for Patek Philippe. While the painting is dated 1982, the watch wasn’t sold to Beyer until 1994, which wasn’t uncommon at the time for this type of watch at the time.

View of the Port of Amsterdam by Abraham Storck. Image – Christie’s

This pocket watch reflects Menni’s broader body of work, which usually reproduced, or was inspired by, 17th-century Dutch art.

Menni attributed the motif on the pocket watch to “J. Storck”, though today the work is regarded as having been painted by Jacobus’s brother, Abraham. Interestingly, with an estimate of CHF100,000-200,000, this watch is worth significantly more than the original painting.

See more of these watches, and many more, at Phillips.com.