Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 3838/5

Reference 3838/5 Ellipse | A yellow gold bracelet watch with two tone dial, Circa 1985 Patek Philippe

Dial: silvered and champagne guilloché Caliber: cal. E 27 quartz, 6 jewels Movement number: 1'503'599 Case: 18k yellow gold, snap on case back Case number: 549'242 Closure: 18k yellow gold Patek Philippe bracelet with folding clasp Size: 35.5 x 30.5 mm, bracelet circumference approximately 185 mm Signed: case, dial, and movement Box: no Papers: no A true expression of Patek Philippe’s approach to watchmaking and design, the Golden Ellipse is perhaps the best distillation of this pursuit of perfection. Introduced in 1968, the Golden Ellipse was a tribute to the great mathematicians of Ancient Greece as its shape was derived from the Golden Ratio design principle, also known as the ‘divine proportion’. The Golden Ratio is considered a perfect proportion frequently found in nature, expressed as a ratio between two numbers as approximately 1.618. Studied by mathematicians for centuries the Golden Ratio is considered to be a key element in achieving aesthetic harmony in art and architecture. Indeed the case of the Golden Ellipse sits snugly on the wrist and despite its simplicity in form, exudes elegant proportions cementing it as a classic staple of dress watches. Shortly after the Ellipse was introduced by Patek Philippe, the Quartz Revolution took the watch industry by storm in the 1970s. The advent of battery powered quartz movements revolutionized the way watches have been manufactured and largely replaced mechanical watches around the world. As a result, the traditional heart of the watchmaking industry, Switzerland, experienced a significant decline while the rest of the world’s production shifted to Japan which pioneered the first Quartz wristwatch: The Astron by Seiko. Facing extinction, Swiss watch manufacturers had to get creative. There was a flurry of mergers and acquisitions and multiple shifting of production supply chains that shaped the industry for decades to come that saw the rise of the likes of Swatch group, and the fall of many small, independent watch part manufacturers. Amid the crisis, Patek Philippe emerged from this rough period in watchmaking history victorious by resolutely adhering to their commitment to excellence by focusing on their rich history, emphasizing the importance of a human touch in watchmaking, and investing in a new self-winding movement and their own quartz movement. It is this very quartz movement that powers the present Golden Ellipse with an elegant 18k yellow gold case secured by a beautiful integrated bracelet, and an uncommon two tone dial. The meticulously hand guillochéd dial is punctuated by champagne minute markers on a silvered outer border black printed Roman numerals.