Patek philippe Ref. 3440: The "Screw-Back" Calatrava by Antoine Gerlach

The Patek Philippe Reference 3440 occupies a precise and deliberate position in the Calatrava family: it is the automatic, waterproof Calatrava without a date, produced between 1960 and the late 1960s as a sophisticated alternative to the date-equipped models that dominated the era. Where the Ref. 3445 added a date window, the 3440 preserved the perfect symmetry of a clean dial, making it the purist's choice within the automatic Calatrava range. This example, produced in 1965, is housed in an 18k yellow gold case by Antoine Gerlach, one of the most celebrated master casemakers in Genevan horological history, and is accompanied by its original box.

Key Specifications

Collector's Note

The screw-back case is the defining technical feature of the 3440. Designed to provide water resistance without the use of a gasket-sealed snap-back, it gives the watch a more substantial wrist presence and a satisfying solidity when handled. On the inner surface of the caseback, the hallmark of Antoine Gerlach is visible: a hammerhead with the number 4, the Geneva Key No. 4. Gerlach was the casemaker responsible for some of the most important Patek Philippe references of the twentieth century, including the Ref. 2499 perpetual calendar chronograph and the Ref. 2497. His involvement in the 3440 guarantees a level of case finishing that goes beyond what the manufacture's standard specifications required.

The Caliber 27-460 is one of the finest automatic movements Patek Philippe produced in the 1960s. The Gyromax balance, adjustable without adding or removing weight, allows for regulation of extraordinary precision. The 18k gold guilloché rotor, engraved with the Calatrava Cross, is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback and is one of the most elegant details in the entire Patek movement catalogue. The Geneva Seal certifies that every component has been finished and assembled to the standards of the Poinçon de Genève, the highest independent certification in Swiss horology.

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