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PATEK PHILIPPE | REF.3878, A RARE YELLOW GOLD SKELETONISED WRISTWATCH, CIRCA 1994 image 1
PATEK PHILIPPE | REF.3878, A RARE YELLOW GOLD SKELETONISED WRISTWATCH, CIRCA 1994 image 2
PATEK PHILIPPE | REF.3878, A RARE YELLOW GOLD SKELETONISED WRISTWATCH, CIRCA 1994 image 3
PROPERTY FROM AN IMPORTANT PRIVATE ASIAN COLLECTOR
Lot 857Y

PATEK PHILIPPE | REF.3878, A RARE YELLOW GOLD SKELETONISED WRISTWATCH, CIRCA 1994

25 November 2025, 14:00 HKT
Hong Kong, Six Pacific Place

HK$180,000 - HK$350,000

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PATEK PHILIPPE | REF.3878, A RARE YELLOW GOLD SKELETONISED WRISTWATCH, CIRCA 1994

Case/Movement No: 2'952'592/1'239'269
Calibre: 2402, automatic, signed
Dial: Skeletonised and 18k gold engraved, signed
Case: 31mm, 18k yellow gold, transparent case back, signed
Strap: Maker's endangered species, 18k yellow gold buckle, signed
Accompaniments: Maker's Extract from the Archives and travel pouch

百達翡麗 | 3878型號,罕有黃金自動上弦鏤空腕錶,年份約1994。附原廠候補資料庫精萃及旅行袋。

Footnotes

In the realm of Patek Philippe's most famous creations, the reference 3878 emerges as a golden specter, the maison's inaugural automatic skeletonized wristwatch, unveiled circa 1981 and veiled in exclusivity until 2007, with very limited production of roughly 500 pieces in 18k yellow gold, with only 58 ever making it back to the market since launch. This scarcity, born from meticulous hand-finishing and the era's artisanal constraints, renders it a collector's dream: pristine exemplars elude the market, surfacing at auctions only every few years.

The 31mm case, polished to a sunburst sheen, cradles a sapphire crystal that bares all: a fully skeletonized dial where the automatic Caliber 2402—Patek's 27-jewel, 21,600 vph heartbeat with 48-hour power reserve—dances in guilloché-etched 18k gold plates, bridges, and rotors, signed and decorated with côtes de Genève waves. Blued feuille hands sweep over luminous indices, the balance wheel a hypnotic pendulum at 6 o'clock, all framed by a yellow gold bezel that is subtle in its beauty. For the savant who seeks Patek's most rare and iconic skeletonized timepiece, the reference 3878 is sure amaze and impress on the wrist.

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