Patek Philippe. A very fine and rare 18K gold automatic perpetual calendar wristwatch with moon phases, "red dot" leap year indicator and integral bracelet

The present watch is the earliest known reference 3450 with red dot on gold integrated bracelet known to the market and as such is of immense historic interest in the timeline of this important key reference.

Examples of reference 3450 with “red dot” leap year indication, sometimes called the “Bollino Rosso” are amongst the rarest of Patek Philippe's production of complicated wristwatches.

In 1981, reference 3450, successor of reference 3448, was introduced into the market with the improved 27'460 QB (Quantième Bissextile) calibre. The model differs from its predecessor by the modified leap year indication, the eccentric small window at 4 o'clock. The first series, like the present watch, was made with a simple red disk and Arabic numerals, the second with Roman I, II, III and IV leap year indication.

A total of 244 examples of reference 3450 were made, the majority in yellow gold cases, only two in white gold are known to date.
Production of both references 3448 and 3450 was discontinued in 1985 when reference 3940 was launched.

Reference 3450 is illustrated in: Patek Philippe Wristwatches, Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, second edition, p. 290, pl. 449a.

An example of a ref. 3450 with Roman leap year indicator is illustrated and described in: Patek Philippe Watches - Volume II, Patek Philippe Museum, p. 297.