1979 Patek Philippe Ellipse Ref. 3604/2J ‘Golden Circle’ with Burgundy dial

$30,000.00

The Patek Philippe Ellipse collection arrived in 1968 built around a single mathematical idea: the golden ratio. Its softly elongated oval case, proportioned according to the divine proportion that has governed classical art and architecture since antiquity, gave the line an identity so coherent and so complete that it required no further justification. The reference 3604 — known among collectors as the ‘Golden Circle’ — took that idea and expanded it into something more imposing: a 36x36mm case, square in footprint yet softly radiused at the corners, adopting the nickname “TV screen” and giving it a presence that the standard Ellipse’s more discreet proportions never quite achieved. Introduced in 1971 and produced only until 1980, it is estimated that fewer than 1,900 examples were ever made across all configurations — exclusively in 18k white or yellow gold, powered by the slim self-winding calibre 28-255 C, the same movement that would later appear in the legendary Nautilus reference 3700. The suffix /2J denotes the yellow gold variant with integrated bracelet, which amplifies the rarity of an already scarce reference considerably. And among its dial options — predominantly produced by Stern Frères — the burgundy examples occupy a chapter of their own, having been made not by Stern but by Singer, a distinction that makes them among the most unusual and least documented configurations the reference produced.

This 1979 example’s burgundy or ‘brun’ dial has done something extraordinary with time. What was once a deep, saturated red-brown has aged and shifted under its sunburst finish toward a warm copper — a patina so rich and so complex that it reads differently under every light source, pulling toward deep burgundy in shade and toward a warm, almost metallic copper under direct light. Minor peeling is present, consistent with the dial’s age and the Singer lacquer composition, and far from diminishing the dial it deepens the sense of authentic, untouched history. The 18k yellow gold ‘TV screen’ case is strong, carrying light signs of wear with gold hallmarks at 9 clearly visible. The solid yellow gold case back is equally crisp, correct inner engravings present. Original signed crown. The integrated 18k yellow gold bracelet is original, terminating in a hidden Patek Philippe-signed yellow gold clasp — the complete, correct, and increasingly rare configuration that the /2J suffix promises.

A Golden Circle in yellow gold with a Singer burgundy dial, integrated bracelet, and fifty years of copper fire. There are not many left to find.

Brand: Patek Philippe

Model: Ellipse

Reference: 3604/2J

Serial: 2771xxx

Year: 1979

Case material: 18K Yellow Gold

Case dimensions: 36mm excluding crown

Functions: Hours, minutes and date

Caliber: Patek Philippe cal. 28-255 C Automatic

Bracelet: Patek Philippe 18k yellow gold integrated bracelet with Patek Philippe hidden deployable clasp (fits up to a 21cm wrist)

Crystal: Sapphire