An extremely fine and rare, white gold, rectangular-shaped date quartz wristwatch, with Extract from the Archives.
Model Beta 21 Reference 3603/1 Case Material White gold Bracelet Material White gold Patek Philippe bracelet, approximate length 185mm Year 1974 Movement Electroquartz, cal. Beta 21, 13 jewels Case N° 2'732'582 Movement N° 8'131 Dimensions 37.5mm width x 33mm length Signed Case, dial and movement Accessories Accompanied by Patek Philippe extract from the archives confirming the production of the present timepiece in 1974 and its subsequent sale on May 23rd 1976
The Quartz Revolution of the late 1960s and early 1970s significantly transformed the Swiss watchmaking industry, as brands faced stiff competition from Japanese companies mass-producing affordable, battery-powered watches. During the early development of quartz technology, Patek Philippe, along with other manufacturers such as Rolex, Omega, and Piaget, began exploring quartz movements and collaborated to establish the Centre Electronique Horloger (CEH) in 1962. The CEH introduced the Beta-1 movement in 1966, followed by the revolutionary Beta-21 movement in 1969, which offered remarkable accuracy with a deviation of only five seconds per month. The participating brands collectively agreed to manufacture 6 000 Beta-21 movements to be distributed among the group. The present timepiece, reference 3603-1, also known as the “Grande Ellipse” or “Elletrico,” together with references 3587 and 3597, were among the largest rectangular wristwatches ever made by Patek Philippe. Available in either white or yellow gold with Ateliers Réunis cases, the dials were made by Stern Frères from a massive 18K gold plate and showcased either blue, gilt, silvered, or browned finishes, like the present example. Extremely fascinating, the present reference 3603-1 is the designation for watches with an “Oyster”-style bracelet. The reference 3603 showcased a leather strap, while the reference 3603-2 had a “tubogas”-style solid 18K gold bracelet. Preserved in excellent overall, the present timepiece showcases a crisp hallmark on the case band and crisp finishes on the outside case back. 
