Watches

A very fine, attractive and extremely rare stainless steel wristwatch Reference: 3700/1 Model: Nautilus Calibre: Automatic, cal. 28-255 C, 36 jewels Material: Stainless steel Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Patek Philippe bracelet Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel Patek Philippe deployant clasp Dial: Striped matte black, applied indexes in white gold, tritium Signed: Case, dial, movement and bracelet signed Diameter: 42 mm Year: 1978 Accessories: Accompanied by Patek Philippe cork fitted presentation box. Further delivered with Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming the date of manufacture of the present timepiece in 1978 and its subsequent date of sale on the 16th July 1980., original receipt from the Perrin house in Paris for an amount of 10,000 French francs at the time and revision invoice from the Patek house with details on an attached photo dated 18.8.2009. Condition: Very good condition. Since the revision, the watch has never been worn and kept in safe of original owner's trunk. Notes: Having made its important debut over 45 years ago, the Patek Philippe Nautilus has become one of the most iconic timepieces of the century. First released in 1976, the ref. 3700 was the creation of a genius in the field, Gerald Genta, who also designed the biggest rival of them all, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak four years prior. It was whilst dining meters away from the Patek Philippe executives was inspired by the porthole of a ship constructed via a solid mono-block case with octagonal bezel. Housed in the heart of the watch is the calibre 28-255C taking blueprints from the Jaeger-LeCoultre calibre 920 from 1967. The development was financed by Audemars Piguet which revered to cal.2120 for the Royal Oak, Vacheron Constantin with cal. 1120 and Patek Philippe for the cal. 28-255C for the Nautilus. Lean and refined in its profile at only 3.15mm, it is regarded as one of the most legendary movements ever produced. Produced from 1976 to 1990, the ref. 3700 can be divided into two main series, with early example from 1976 – 1982 bearing the ref. 3700/1 stamp and examples produced from 1982 – 1990 onwards stamped with ref. 3700/11. Other notable features to differentiate the two is the integrated bracelet with examples from the first series measuring a wider 16mm and later examples measuring 14mm. Hand-made with ridged grooves manufactured by Stern Fréres, the very first examples highlighted dials with small painted hash outer minute tracks and gradually transitioned into dotted outer minute track, as well as the attached accent of the second “E” of “Genève”, and “σ SWISS σ” applied on the bottom of the dial.

The Patek Philippe Nautilus is one of the most iconic luxury sports watches ever created. Designed by Gérald Genta and introduced in 1976, the Nautilus is known for its unique, porthole-inspired case shape, sophisticated design, and impeccable craftsmanship. The model 5711/1A-010, one of the most sought after, features a stunning blue-black gradated dial with a horizontal embossed pattern, housed in a beautifully crafted stainless steel case. Its automatic movement and simple yet functional date complication make it both a technical marvel and a piece of luxurious elegance.