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Patek Philippe Ellipse 3848- Brown Dial

Details

Here's a vintage Patek Philippe Ellipse reference 3848 manual wind from the 1980s with a brown sunburst dial in 18K yellow gold. Measurements include a 27x32mm case. On a custom brown glossy alligator leather strap. Sigma markings at 6 o'clock indicate that the hands and hour markers are made of gold. There is some dial degradation around the minute track, as seen in photos matching gold stick hands and hour markers. It is quite difficult to find brown dials in an ellipse. All parts, including the crown, dial, movement, and caseback are original.

Ready to wear!

SKU 963

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.