Hi, I am not a Patek expert at all, just a lover and appreciator of the brand, but to me the watch looks beautiful. Case appears to be in very good shape. And I think you’re absolutely right, that is very likely moisture damage from some point over the years. I wouldn’t look to restore that in anyway, not even sure that would be possible without causing further damage. I think it’s part of the watch’s story, and you should wear it and enjoy it! It’s a beauty!
And that movement!!! Pure art.
Looks like moisture damage, as suggested above. The good news is that the movement appears not to have been affected, but there may have been a bad crystal, or seal, leading to moisture gaining access to the dial.
One other point. I can't be certain based on your photos, but those lugs appear to my eye to have been polished at some point.
Ah ok, thanks that's interesting to know. Do you think that whatever allowed the moisture to gain access would have been replaced on a previous service, or should I be extra cautious or have someone look at it? The watch was fully serviced last month and some of the movement photos were taken at the time.
Assuming that it was serviced by a competent watchmaker, the crystal and seals should be doing their jobs correctly. As suggested by another poster, this model was not designed to be waterproof, so the environment might have played a role in the damage. You should try to avoid using it extensively, or storing it, in high-humidity environments, and obviously also avoid rain, etc.
No model name, and I'm not even sure if it had a reference number. It was sold many years ago.
Ok. It's a nice dial. Again, very simple and understated in style.
Out of interest, are there any particularly good books, videos or sites that you'd recommend for learning more about the Calatrava, and specifically the 3420? And Patek in general.
