16-03-2021
A Patek Philippe Ref 3448, one of the most sought-after references from the brand, is expected to set a new auction record for the reference at Christie’s Hong Kong’s important watches sale scheduled for 22 May 2021.
The one-of-a-kind Alan Banbery Patek Philippe Ref 3448J, an 18-karat gold automatic perpetual calendar watch with English calendar and leap-year indication without moon phase, was made in 1970. Banbery joined the legendary watchmaker in 1965 as director of sales. To recognise commemorate his 10 years of excellent service in 1975, brand owner Henri and Philippe Stern gave the watch to him with his initial “AB” engraved at the back.
According to Christie’s, there were only 586 watches made between 1962 and 1985, mostly in yellow or white gold. Seven pieces were subsequently modified to remove the moon-phase disk, with only one converted to show the leap year. That explains the rarity of the Alan Banbery 3448J. (Photo courtesy: Christie’s)
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