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Too Beautiful To Hide.
Most watch movements spend their entire lives hidden behind a caseback, with all that beautiful finishing reserved for the occasional watchmaker who gets to open them up. Patek Philippe must have thought that was a terrible waste of good craftsmanship.
Enter the Ellipse Skeleton Ref. 3881, a rather extravagant example of what happens when Geneva's finest watchmakers decide to put everything on display.
Dating to 1979, this remarkable Ellipse takes the familiar 18k yellow gold case and replaces the traditional dial with an extraordinary display of mechanical craftsmanship. At its heart is the manual-wound Caliber 99 SQU, painstakingly skeletonized to expose its intricate network of gears, wheels and bridges. Each bridge is hand-engraved with elaborate floral motifs, with the Patek Philippe signature and movement number worked directly into the decoration. Even the movement's exposed 14kt gold components are part of the spectacle.
Surrounding this miniature mechanical exhibition is a setting of 94 diamonds totalling approximately 0.52 carats, framing the movement within the Ellipse's unmistakable silhouette. A pair of skeleton black hands makes its way across the openworked dial, while sapphire crystals on both sides offer an uninterrupted view of the craftsmanship.
Turn the watch over and the engraving continues, with beautiful scrolling patterns surrounding the exposed movement. It's the sort of workmanship that makes you wonder how many hours someone spent hunched over a workbench, engraving pieces most people would struggle to see without a loupe.
And here's an interesting bit of history. According to its accompanying Patek Philippe archive documentation, this example was manufactured in 1979 but wasn't sold until June 18, 1981. Nearly two years waiting for the right collector. Skeletonized watches were still an unusual proposition at the time, particularly when executed to this extraordinary standard. Production was naturally limited by the painstaking handwork involved, with only a handful of examples reportedly completed each year.
Measuring 27 × 32mm, the watch retains its original 18k Patek Philippe buckle and is presented on a new black alligator strap. Freshly serviced and beautifully preserved, it's a wonderful reminder of an era when some of Patek Philippe's most ambitious work came in surprisingly small packages.
Nearly half a century later, we suspect this one won't need another two years to find its next owner.
Beautifully preserved overall, with light signs of wear consistent with age.
The 18k yellow gold case retains its elegant contours, with minor surface marks.
The skeletonized movement displays beautifully preserved hand engraving, with the diamond-set surround appearing clean and intact.
The engraved caseback remains well preserved, with visible gold hallmarks.
The black hands and front and rear sapphire crystals are in excellent condition.
Fitted with a brand-new black alligator strap and its original signed 18k Patek Philippe buckle, showing light surface wear.
The movement has been freshly serviced and is keeping accurate time.
Ordering: Please provide your name, address, email, and phone number. An invoice will be emailed with payment instructions, along with a shipping quote tailored to your location.
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US Tariffs: We take a thoughtful cross-border approach to keep import costs low with no unexpected surprises.
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