Watch Paparazzi

Actor Daniel Auteuil spotted wearing Patek Philippe

On the set of France 2's cultural talk show "On n'est pas couché," Daniel Auteuil — one of French cinema's most decorated actors — was observed wearing a Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Reference 3940, a watch that serious collectors regard as one of Geneva's most consequential postwar designs.

Introduced in 1985, the Patek Philippe 3940 represented a pivotal moment for the maison: it was the first perpetual calendar wristwatch to house the caliber 240Q, a self-winding movement built on the legendary ultra-thin 240 base. At just 3.88mm in height, the 240Q delivered a full perpetual calendar — day, date, month, and moon phase displayed via a four-aperture dial architecture — inside a case measuring 36mm. The movement operates at 19,800 vph, offers a 48-hour power reserve, and was finished to the exacting standards that define Patek's manufacture production. The reference was produced in yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, and platinum across its 22-year run, with various dial configurations that have created a rich sub-collecting universe.

The 3940 occupies a singular position in the collector community precisely because of its longevity and the caliber 240Q's reputation for reliability and serviceability. Early "R" and "J" serial examples command particular premiums at auction, while moon phase accuracy — correcting only once every 122 years — remains a talking point that resonates far beyond specialist circles. It is the watch that introduced an entire generation to Patek perpetual calendars before the Reference 5140 succeeded it in 2007.

Daniel Auteuil, whose career spans landmark films including "Jean de Florette," "Manon des Sources," and "La Fille sur le pont," has long projected an image of understated European sophistication. The choice of a 3940 — restrained in proportions, complex in mechanism, and entirely without ostentation — reads as entirely consistent with that persona. This is not a watch chosen for visibility; it is a watch chosen because the owner understands what it is.

On the secondary market, the Patek Philippe 3940 in yellow gold trades comfortably above its original retail price, with clean examples in full set consistently achieving between $25,000 and $45,000 depending on reference period, dial condition, and documentation. White gold and platinum variants push higher. For a watch discontinued nearly two decades ago, demand has remained impressively stable — a testament to the enduring logic of the caliber 240Q and the 3940's place in horological history.