At the time, this watch retailed for around $30,000 and you could find a used one for around $20,000, which was way out of my league. A few years later I was looking through a magazine, and I saw a Tiffany & Company ad that featured the Patek 3940, and I cut it out. I still have the Tiffany & Company image which I scanned and you can see it below. I can't tell you how many countless hours I spent starring at this image in absolute awe!!!
I also remember thinking the Patek Phillipe Reference 3940, was the ultimate Gentleman's watch, in the sense that it was THE ULTIMATE watch a man could wear with a suit. Ironically, many years later when I got one, I ended up wearing it much more often with t-shirts, which also looked great...
I remember wanting this watch so badly, and being extremely frustrated that it was so expensive. I remember thinking, "why is it that the one watch I am madly in love with cost at least $20,000!?!?!" I tried so hard to find another dress watch that could fulfill my desire for this watch and finally I just gave up and realized it was the Patek Philippe 3940 or nothing!!!
A few years later, I came across this next image from the Patek Philipp Catalog and I added it to my collection of Patek Philippe Reference 3940 material. I also spent forever and a day starring at this image as well. It had a 36mm case and an unusually thin case–compared to all the complicated Patek Philippe complicated watches that came before it. I remember thinking to myself that it was just so perfect looking.!!!
To make a long story short, it took me 20 years to save up the money to finally purchase a yellow gold Patek Philippe 3940. The next two photos were taken by the person who sold me my Patek Philippe 3940. I remember starring at these two photos for a zillion hours. I am not certain if they are of the same watch taken in different light? The first image looks like the watch might be pink gold?
As I mentioned, I could not stop starring at these images!!! It is interesting to note how different the watch looks in candid photos, versus how it looks in a brochure where the time is always 10 minutes after ten. One of the cool features of the Patek Philippe 3940 is that it has beautiful Dauphin hands that lack a second hand, so they have a very clean look.
Undocumented Business Quarter Feature
When I wore a Patek Philippe Reference 3940 watch, I noticed a feature the watch had which I believe was previously undiscovered or undocumented and I will share it with you.
Notice, on the right sub-dial, in the photo above, running around the outer-edge of the rim, we see the 12 months of the year, with the 6 odd months of the year abbreviated with 3 letters each. In other words, we see JAN, MAR, MAY, JUL, SEP and NOV. The outer-edge month indicator uses the longer black hand to indicate which month you are in.
Notice the inner leap year indicator ring has a circle divided by a "+" into 4 sections. Each of the four sections represent one of the four years that make up the leap year calendar. I believe, if I am recalling correctly, year "4" is the leap year, in which the month of February has 29 days, whereas the other 3 years have 28 days in February. So every fourth February is skipped over and this day is technically known as "leap day" in the "leap year."
Notice the leap-year indicator hand on the right sub-dial is gold. I noticed, or discovered, if you utilize the black month hand, with the 4-section leap year indicator, it will tell you which business quarter you are in!!!
So if you are a business executive, particularly in a larger enterprise, it would be common for you to refer to Q1, Q2, Q3 or Q4. Instead of saying January through March of 2011, you would refer to the same time period as Q1 2011. I believe businesses tend to section the year into quarters to track or measure financial and marketing performance–particularly in a publicly-traded company.
I don't know if I was the first person to notice this undocumented business-quarter feature, but it is interesting and useful.
The next photo below shows the Patek Philippe Reference 3940 movement. Notice how small the winding rotor is? The winding rotor is made from 22kt gold, which, since it is heavy, allows the watch to be easily wound.
I bought the Patek Philippe Reference 3940 pictured above used for $30,000, and it was in like brand-new condition. I wore it for several years, and then sold it for $30,000. Basically, I got to wear it for free. Sometimes I miss it, but I think I got my fill. I remember I used to just stare at it on my wrist. I know that somewhere, I have some wrist shots I took of it, and when I find them I will as one or two to this post.
I remember that when I wore this watch for several years, it was so low-key. Nobody EVER recognized it and said "Oh, you are wearing a Patek Philippe." Not once. As a matter of fact, I never even got one compliment on the watch. This was ironic, because I have owned many Rolex watches, that I always received compliments on, but never with the Patek Phillipe 3940, and that was kind of the beauty of it.
I would walk around with a $5,000 to $25,000 (retail) Rolex on my wrist and everybody would stare at it, and then I would walk around with a $60,000 (retail) Patek Philippe and nobody would ever notice it. I may as well have been wearing a $100 Fossil watch, but in my mind, I knew exactly what it was, and I could never seem to stop starring at it!!!
That is really kind of the beauty of owning a Patek Philippe complicated watch, is that nobody knows what it is, but you do. I recall Patek Philippe once had a slogan that said "Wearing a Patek Philippe not only tell you the time, but it tells you something about yourself" and boy is that true!!!
