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Patek Philippe Ellipse - 18K Yellow Gold

Details

Here’s a Patek Philippe Ellipse reference 3788 in quartz featuring a blue dial from the 1970s. Measurements include a 28x33mm case size. 18K yellow gold case and buckle. On its original black leather strap and buckle. Quickset date function at 3 o'clock. There’s an engraving on the caseback: “Happy Birthday, love always Pam”. Matching stick gold hands and hour markers. Fitted on its leather strap with a Patek Philippe buckle. Original case, dial, and movement. Fully functional and keeping time.

Ready to wear!

SKU727

Key Specs
History

In 1968, Patek Philippe introduced the Golden Ellipse — a watch whose case dimensions were derived from the golden ratio, the mathematical proportion found in classical architecture and nature. The result is a case that looks neither circular nor rectangular but occupies a gravitational middle ground that is immediately recognizable and impossible to imitate convincingly.

The Ellipse arrived at the right moment: the late 1960s were a time of geometric experimentation in watchmaking, but most attempts at "design watches" aged badly. The Ellipse aged better than almost anything from its era because its proportions were grounded in mathematics rather than trend.

References across our inventory span the 1970s through 1990s: ref 3566, 3567, 3748, 4266/905, and various numbered references in yellow gold, white gold, and platinum. Dials in blue, brown, onyx, champagne, and malachite all appear. The integrated bracelet versions are particularly prized — a Patek with a bracelet is a rare and serious thing.