Patek Philippe 3738/117 Ellipse d’Or « Jumbo » Automatic

Superb and rare Patek Philippe Ellipse d’Or, reference 3738/117, produced in the late 1980s.

Featuring a deep blue “Sigma” dial and an elegant integrated yellow gold woven mesh bracelet, this Ellipse makes as strong an impression on the wrist today as it did when it was released over 30 years ago.

This wristwatch houses an automatic movement – a first in the Ellipse collection – based on the famous and sought-after Patek Philippe caliber 240 with a 22-carat gold micro-rotor.

The exceptional specimen we offer today features an 18-carat yellow gold case, a very rare integrated yellow gold bracelet with a beautiful woven pattern, equipped with a jewelry clasp signed by Patek Philippe and engraved with a Calatrava Cross, and a deep blue dial featuring the “Sigma APRIOR” symbol at 6 o’clock, indicating the use of gold for both the dial indices and the Dauphine hands – a characteristic present only from 1971 to 1995.

Particularly long, the integrated bracelet, very comfortable to wear, will suit even the largest wrists. Its build quality is exemplary and unmatched by Swiss manufacturers today.

The reference 3738 is widely considered the most desirable in the Ellipse collection due to its slim case with contemporary dimensions, housing the famous and prestigious Patek Philippe caliber 240 automatic movement, featuring a 22-carat gold micro-rotor.

This Ellipse offers an ideal combination of elegance, timeless prestige, watchmaking technicality, and everyday comfort.

Add this exceptional model to your collection to showcase elegance that transcends trends.

The Patek Philippe Caliber 240

During the “quartz crisis,” Henri and Philippe Stern, the owners of Patek Philippe, decided to work on a new ultra-thin automatic mechanical caliber. Thus, in 1977, the Caliber 240 was born, one of the most famous and admired movements of the prestigious Swiss manufacture.

To make the Caliber 240 as elegant, reliable, and above all, thin, Patek Philippe, for the first time in its history, used an off-center micro-rotor. Made of 22-carat gold to give it the necessary weight for proper inertial rotation, this micro-rotor is integrated into the main plate, thereby saving considerable thickness compared to traditional automatic movements. Since then, the base caliber 240 has been adapted and used by Patek Philippe for a multitude of models, including prestigious complications: world time, perpetual calendar, moon phase display, etc.

In excellent overall condition, this rare Ellipse d’Or features a flawless blue dial, a yellow gold case that has been minimally polished in the past, and a particularly long integrated bracelet. The scratch-resistant sapphire crystal shows no scratches or chips. The movement operates within the strictest tolerances.