Antiquorum, Geneva, April 1996, Lot 156

Created during the economic and social boom of the "Roaring Twenties," Robert Cart’s jump hour complication was a strikingly unconventional design, infused with the geometric elegance of Art Deco. Several pre♒stigious Swiss maisons adopted this novel design, with Patek Philippe being one of the earliest to do so. The brand produced only a small handful of such watches, with just seven wristwatches currently identified. Patek Philippe would not revisit the jump hour complication for wristwatches until 1989, the year of its 𓃲150th anniversary, when it released several limited-edition models, including the present reference 3969.

The reference 3969, made in a total of 500 examples—450 in 18k pink gold and 50 in platinum—draws direct inspiration from an 18k yellow gold jump hour wristwatch from 1927, now housed in the Patek Philippe museum. The tonneau-shaped case and distinctive dial layout, complete with an outer railroad track minute scale, pay homage to its historic predecessor. Though initially met with hesitation by collectors, the current renais🧸sance of unusual🥃ly shaped watches with whimsical complications has brought the reference 3969 back into the limelight. Collectors today prize its elegant tortue case, here preserved in excellent overall condition, paired with its rare and historically significant jump hour complication.

Among the eight commemorative pieces introduced in 1989 to celebrate Patek Philippe’s 150th anniversary, reference 3969 stands out for its sophisticated blend of a digital hour display and traditional minute hand, powered by the caliber 215 HG (also known as the 215 HS, for Heures Sautantes). This mechanism replaces the conventional hour h🦂and with a rotating disc that reveals the hours through a window at 12 o'clock. The movement is encased in a tonneau case crafted by the famed Favre & Perret of La Chaux-de-Fonds, featuring a polished ꦡbezel and engraved case back marking the anniversary.

The dial, rendered in opaline silver with Breguet numerals, underscores the vintage aesthetic with a railway minute track, echoing the timeless design✃ codes of Patek Philippe. While it took time for the reference 3969 to be fully embraced by the collector community, its rarity, coupled with its refined execution of a historic complication, has made it a sought-after piece in today’s market.