Finally out of the safe! Tell about this Patek.

[Amiroo]

My best friend has finally taken a Patek that his father bought him out of the safe. Last year he bought a ceramic sub and is now deep into the watch game.

When he showed me the watch I knew it was special. I've seen a few 3468's but not one with a blue dial.

He's trying to get an idea of what the thing is worth, my guess was around 7 or 8k USD. But again, I haven't seen a blue dial. Would like to get your thoughts on it. The thing has literally never been worn!

Thanks

[gpwhite]

I have this watch too, with the cobalt treated gold dial. It was my first Patek, purchased at the Geneva Salon in 1979 when it was already a discontinued model. The sales clerk claimed my piece was the last one on hand with the Sterns... around US$ 2,500 at the time.

The radial texture on the dial is quite remarkable, as are the carved-in indexes.

It is not a Patek movement, but supposedly AP. Apparently, Patek did not make a movement this thin until the calibre 177 came out much later. I have also read it was a LeCoultre ebauche. Service has always been very slow, and very expensive.

Resale? I would imagine a tough road indeed. Yellow gold has not been popular for decades, Patek's blue-gold dial seems to have lost its appeal and the smaller diameter (without complications) is not today's style. I think your estimated range is quite high, but a large dealer like Joshua Ganjei would know for sure.