My last acquisition for Patek Philippe watches was more than 11 years ago in 2011. As PP watches are expensive and rare, I do not find many of these watches around. However, I am currently viewing two Patek Philippe Patek 3919 versus 3569 and I hope to get just one and I shall need to research which one to get.
Patek Philippe 3569 (1969-1986）
The 3569 is a rather unusual model with the winding crown on the back of the case and was know as the backward winding model by collectors. The backwind models consists of the 3563, 3569 and 3573 (which was cushion shaped).
The Pros:
1. The case for the 3569 is larger at 36mm versus 33.5 mm for 3919
2. Historically important Automatic movement after the The first generation calibre 12-600 AT ( it is considered by many to be one of the most aesthetically beautiful wristwatch movements ever made, and it was utilised within a 35.5 mm water-resistant case and was launched in 1953) and second generation caliber 27-460 launched in 1960. The caliber 350-I was launched in 1969. The original calibre 350 had bi-directional winding, which caused a fair amount of problems, so the 350i (improved) has only uni-directional winding. The 3919 is a Manuel wind watch
3. The 3569 is more vintage
The Cons:
1. With the winding crown at the back, moisture tends to get into the movement especially during summer time. No such issue for 3919.
2. Power reserve of this automatic is weak (some collector considered it a failed model). 3919 hamdwind watch has no such issue.
3. There were names being engraved at the back case but it’s was polished off thereby thinning the back case.
As such, The ref. 3569 is a backwind automatic that was in production from 1969 – 1986. The concept of a backwind watch was ingenious, making it easy to wear for both a right or left-handed person. However, in practice, moisture easily permeated the case of these backwind watches and visits to the service center became a frequent rite of passage for owners
Above and above, right: Pages from Patek Philippe's patent for a self-winding movement showing a peripheral winding system.
Exploded view of Patek Philippe cal. I-350 from Patek Philippe Genève Wristwatches, Second Edition, © 1998 by Patek Philippe SA, Geneva, Switzerland.
Cal. I-350 from Patek Philippe Genève Wristwatches, Second Edition, © 1998 by Patek Philippe SA, Geneva, Switzerland.
Rotor-side view of cal. I-350 from Patek Philippe Genève Wristwatches, Second Edition, © 1998 by Patek Philippe SA, Geneva, Switzerland.
John Reardon has a more positive view of the cal. 350 and I-350, saying that he feels the movements' poor reputation is probably unfair. Formerly of Christie's and Patek Philippe, Reardon's is a name that, like Wind's, longtime HODINKEE readers may remember from his HODINKEE byline. He now operates the site Collectability. "But the 350 is a beautiful movement; the 240 [a well-known Patek movement which saves on thickness in a different way, with a micro rotor], however, is simply far superior in terms of functionality," Reardon told me. "Cal. 350 was a canvas for design, an automatic alternative to quartz for watches that were very focused on dials, textures, and classic shapes. The functionality is quite literally on the back. The lack of a crown on the side enabled Patek Philippe to explore designs never before seen."
Citing the authoritative book Patek Philippe Genève Wristwatches by Martin Huber and Alan Banbery, Reardon says, "It's clear that this is the third in the evolution of automatic movements from Patek Philippe." Reardon continues: "We all talk about the 12'''600. And there are collectors obsessed with the 27-460. But the third, the sort of bronze medal, goes to the 350. And nobody talks about that. The cal. 350 is like the segue to the later cal. 310, which was the base design of numerous automatic movements today from Patek Philippe. So a cal. 350 deserves to be in a collection, as long as you can find a watchmaker who can fix it."
Extract from : https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/peripherally-wound-watch-movements-from-patek-philippe-cal-350
But if you follow the road back to the first peripherally winding movement, as with so much in horology, it leads to Geneva and the house of Patek Philippe, which made quite a few of them in the 1970s and '80s – thousands, in fact. And yet, they're not particularly well known today. I learned of their existence earlier this year in the course of fact-checking an article on Carl F. Bucherer. After filing a patent for a self-winding movement in 1965, Patek Philippe pursued its peripheral-winding movement project for a number of years. In 1969, it came out with the cal. 350. In 1979 came an improved version, the cal. I-350. The "I" stands for "improved." The I-350 was made in about 10,000 units, according to Watch Wiki, until it was finally retired in 1985, along with, it seems, Patek's peripheral-winding ambitions. The earliest patent for a peripherally winding movement is attributed to the Swiss watchmaker Paul Gosteli and dates from the mid-'50s.
Why are calibers 350 and I-350 not as famous as some of the other automatic movements that Patek developed around the same time? One of the main traits of Patek Philippe's peripherally wound watches was their unusual placement of the crown on the back, earning them the nickname "backwinders." The positioning of the rotor precluded the crown, stem, and keyless works from being placed where they traditionally go. One will sometimes notice in photographs of Cal. 350s that they look a bit dirty, even for an old watch movement that may not have had a cleaning in a while. This is likely because the crown placement offered a pathway for moisture from the wrist to enter the case. One will also notice that, despite the fact that cal. I-350 bears the Geneva Seal, it is actually fairly plain-looking.
These movements were developed long before the days of the see-through caseback. And while the peripherally wound movement today seems, and is, tailor-made to be viewed through a disc of sapphire glass, cal. I-350 was designed with a different order of priorities. They were made, in the main, to be thin, if not exceptionally beautiful, and to offer a compelling alternative to quartz in the age of the Beta 21, the pioneering Swiss-made quartz movement.
Consider, too, the state of the Swiss watch industry in the '70s and early '80s. "It was a period of upheaval for Swiss watchmaking and profits were under pressure," Eric Wind, told me. "I see a lot of these backwinders in steel, which is cool, but obviously this was less expensive for Patek at the time." Wind went on to tell me that the watches are difficult to sell today.
Caliber I-350 measures 28mm in diameter and a quite thin 3.5mm from top to bottom, while providing displays for the hours, the minutes, and direct central seconds. It used Patek Philippe's proprietary Gyromax balance and vibrated at 21,600 vph. The original cal. 350, on which I-350 is based, features bi-directional winding, which apparently presented some problems, as it had to be updated. Cal. I-350 was the improvement, with its transition to unidirectional winding. In talking to dealers and other experts, the main criticism that I heard again and again was of the backwind system, also seen in certain LeCoultre watches, and its tendency to let in moisture. Whereas all the LeCoultre backwinders were manually wound, Patek used it to accommodate the winding system.
Patek Philippe ref. 3563. (Credit: Sotheby's)
Whatever view one takes of these early peripheral winding watches, one will likely agree that the 1970s weren't exactly a halcyon period for Swiss mechanical watchmaking. Perhaps this is why Cal. 350 and the later Cal. I-350 aren't remembered as warmly as some of the movements that preceded and followed them. Still, these peripherally winding calibers with rotors mounted on ball bearings were the first of their type, plenty of them were made and owned, and many have survived to this day, allowing them to be found readily in the vintage market. They represent an important first in the history of watchmaking, given the subsequent rise in popularity that the peripheral rotor has seen in the last decade as well as a key step in Patek Philippe's development of automatic movements. They also happen to be paired, by virtue of the '70s and '80s timeframe in which they were manufactured, with some really interesting cases, dials, and bracelets. And, of course, because of the back-mounted crown, they are all perfectly symmetrical and easy to wear for both righties and lefties. If ever a movement design was suited to the Ellipse or the Golden Circle, well, this was it.
If you like avant-garde watch designs from this period, then these are watches you will want to know about. One vintage expert I spoke to told me that he thinks these backwinders are probably undervalued, and looking at watches currently available online, I am inclined to agree.
Patek Philippe 3919 (1985-2006)
The Calatrava model has been around since the early 1930s and shown its strength especially throughout the 1940s and into the 1960s, especially with its iconic references 96 and 570. In 1985, Patek Philippe introduced the reference 3919 (33.5mm) which set the benchmark for a beautiful modern dress watch. The dial is a very stark white with a glossy finish, and is adorned with crisp printed black Roman numerals and the manufacturer's signature. The leaf hands and subtle subsidiary seconds offer a nod to the early Calatrava design. But the design feature that most stands out is the “Clous de Paris” bezel design, which up close are small pyramids lined up in formation. The movement inside is a beautifully finished manual-winding caliber 215PS (“PS” meaning “Petite Seconde”) ticking away at 28,800 beats per hour. It has a manual-wound Caliber 215 PS movement,
After two decades of production, the Calatrava ref. 3919 was eventually replaced by the larger (36 mm) Calatrava ref. 5119 in 2006. While the overall appearances of the two watches are near-identical to the untrained eye, many consider the ref. 3919 to be the classic Patek Philippe Calatrava.
https://www.bobswatches.com/rolex-blog/watch-review/spotlight-patek-philippe-calatrava-3919.html
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