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Old 11 January 2017, 02:11 PM   #1
dexvd
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Reference guide for Patek Calatravas?

So I am looking into buying my first Patek potentially as my next watch purchase and have been leaning towards a pre-owned 3919J however I was curious about previous similar 3 hand calatrava references that may have been available over the last 40 years or so that I may find preferable to the 3919. Any suggestions of where I could find something online that would have the info on the past calatravas so I can see what else is out there? Or is anyone aware of some other references I should research of look into? Looking for a three hand, no date, manual wind in the 33-37mm range. I do prefer the roman numeral dial of the 3919 over say the applied hour markers on the 5196J put am not a fan of the 3919 hob knob case finish.
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Old 11 January 2017, 02:19 PM   #2
droptopman
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See them for sale occasionally at HQ Milton. If you do a search on his site you can see a few he has had. Almost bought a vintage gold Calatrava he had last year. Loved the watch but could not convince myself into the 35mm size.
Good luck on the hunt.
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Old 12 January 2017, 05:53 AM   #3
jon_jon
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This forum tends to not get much discussion on Calatravas because there most people are interested in the sports models. There is not a website that I can think of that has a central database of Calatravas.

However there are a several books on Patek watches that typically has a section on the Calatrava references. You may also find useful information on watch auction sites if you search for completed auctions.
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Old 12 January 2017, 06:37 AM   #4
Tony64
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I'll try to help, but knowing your approximate budget would also help.
Contrary to what one might think from the forums, Patek is perhaps best known for its simple classic Calatrava.

Patek frequently paired black Roman numerals and porceline white dial with the hobnail bezel case, and you'll less often find a plain bezel in the configuration you desire. The hobnail bezel has a dressier, more formal look, that goes well with the Roman numerals. It's much more subtle in person than in photos.
A plain bezel is going to have applied indices more often (like the current 5196) but I understand that's not really your preference.

Nothing in the recent catalogue from Patek will satisfy your requirement afaik.
The size you like is common in the vintage market but best to find a clean example as restoration can be cost prohibitive.

Maybe something like this...
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Old 12 January 2017, 02:01 PM   #5
dexvd
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tony64 View Post
I'll try to help, but knowing your approximate budget would also help.
Contrary to what one might think from the forums, Patek is perhaps best known for its simple classic Calatrava.

Patek frequently paired black Roman numerals and porceline white dial with the hobnail bezel case, and you'll less often find a plain bezel in the configuration you desire. The hobnail bezel has a dressier, more formal look, that goes well with the Roman numerals. It's much more subtle in person than in photos.
A plain bezel is going to have applied indices more often (like the current 5196) but I understand that's not really your preference.

Nothing in the recent catalogue from Patek will satisfy your requirement afaik.
The size you like is common in the vintage market but best to find a clean example as restoration can be cost prohibitive.

Maybe something like this...
What reference is that? I saw one similar online listed as a 3923, which looked the same but others mentioned that the dial had likely been swapped with a 3919 making it a potential frankenwatch as the 3923 had applied hour markers...

My max budget is roughly the value of a 3919J... So ~9-12k. Enough to be a significant purchase I will need to save up for (in the process of saving for) but not so expensive that it makes me wonder if I would have rather had a couple watches for that price.
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Old 12 January 2017, 08:45 PM   #6
Tony64
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dexvd View Post
What reference is that? I saw one similar online listed as a 3923, which looked the same but others mentioned that the dial had likely been swapped with a 3919 making it a potential frankenwatch as the 3923 had applied hour markers...

My max budget is roughly the value of a 3919J... So ~9-12k. Enough to be a significant purchase I will need to save up for (in the process of saving for) but not so expensive that it makes me wonder if I would have rather had a couple watches for that price.
That's a 3542 from the 1960's. 36m diameter but now that I think of it it's an automatic and you might have specified manual.
Not sure about price but I would guess that it's probably at the very upper end of your range.

The 3923 is a great watch if the size works for you. I've never seen one with a roman dial though- not saying they don't exist, but every example I've seen has had the applied markers.
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