3K (also written 3KF) is a factory label most often attached to Patek Philippe references, and in some dealer catalogues also to Cartier. It is a good example of why labels in this trade should not be read as identities: when we checked how one catalogue matched a "PPF Nautilus 5711" listing against a factory mapping, the same reference was attributed to 3KF in a different catalogue. Which name is attached to a given watch depends on the seller's own mapping.
On this page
Is 3K Factory still making watches?
The 3K label appears in dealer catalogues, usually on Patek Philippe references. We could not confirm current production or who runs it. This profile carries 2 reported brand lines, 2 signature references and 2 cited sources, with 3 open questions listed below.
What is 3K Factory known for?
This page records 2 points of note for 3K Factory, alongside 2 reported brand lines and 2 signature references, while what the trade repeats without a dated public document is kept separate further down the page.
- Patek Philippe references, where the label is concentrated
- Appearing interchangeably with other letters on the same reference across different dealers
Which brands does 3K Factory build?
The trade associates the 3K Factory label with 2 brand lines, listed below; the source for the mapping is cited at the foot of this page.
- Patek Philippe
- Cartier — both attributed in dealer labels and community summaries
Which models is 3K Factory known for?
This profile lists 2 signature references for 3K Factory, seen across 2 model familys in a snapshot of 35 listings, each resting on a listing observation or a cited test, with its basis noted beside it and its sources at the foot of the page.
Model families under this label in the listing snapshot (35 listings): Patek Philippe Nautilus 14 · Patek Philippe 6
- Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 — The reference the label is most often attached to (6 of 35 listings name it directly; 14 are Nautilus-family) (Factory labels and model families observed across 1,285 listings at one Japanese dealer, snapshot 2026-09-23)
- Patek Philippe Nautilus 7118 — Present under the label across several listings — the ladies' Nautilus (Factory labels and model families observed across 1,285 listings at one Japanese dealer, snapshot 2026-09-23)
Which name gets confused with 3K Factory?
Commonly conflated here: 3KF and PPF, separated by the checks in the table below, whose sources are cited at the foot of this page.
| Name | Name it gets confused with | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 3KF | PPF | Both labels appear on Patek Nautilus listings across different dealers. The label describes what that dealer calls the build, not a registry entry. |
What has not been verified?
The following is commonly repeated about 3K Factory in the trade, and none of it is documented in public, so this site leaves it as unknown. 3 points are carried below as open questions, each one waiting on a dated source before it can be stated as fact:
- Production status and ownership
- Movement supply for the Patek references sold under this label
- Whether the label covers one workshop or several
Sources on this page
This profile rests on the 2 sources listed below, dated and linked where an original exists, and any claim about 3K Factory without a dated public source is carried above as an open question.
- market observation · 2026-09-23 · Factory labels observed on third-party dealer listings, snapshot 2026-09-23
- market observation · 2026-09 · Cross-catalogue label disagreement on Patek 5711 listings, checked 2026-09
Reviewed 2026-10-01. If a source here is wrong or has been superseded, the correction is published on this page. See About.