Christie’s roundel
Lot 244

Patek Philippe. A rare stainless steel automatic wristwatch with date and bracelet

SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENEVE, NAUTILUS MODEL, REF. 3700/1, MOVEMENT NO. 1'309'444, CASE NO. 538'998, MANUFACTURED IN 1980

Closed10 May 2010

Price Realised

CHF 27,500

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Patek Philippe. A rare stainless steel automatic wristwatch with date and bracelet
Signed Patek Philippe, Geneve, Nautilus model, ref. 3700/1, movement no. 1'309'444, case no. 538'998, manufactured in 1980
Cal. 28-255 C nickel-finished lever movement stamped with the Geneva seal, 36 jewels, Gyromax balance, free sprung regulator, 18K gold rim to the rotor, black ribbed dial, applied luminous white gold baton numerals, luminous hands, window for date, water-resistant-type case of typical form, stainless steel Patek Philippe bracelet and deployant clasp signed Nautilus, Patek Philippe, case, dial and movement signed
42 mm. wide

Specialist note

With Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming production of the present watch with black dial and applied white gold luminous indexes in 1980 and its subsequent sale on 4 December 1980.

To the best of our knowledge, this watch has never been offered in public before.

The legendary Nautilus collection was introduced in 1976 when Patek Philippe was looking for a strong design of inimitable personality. An inspiration for such a timepiece soon emerged: The universal shape of a porthole found on virtually all maritime vessels. Since then, the Nautilus has established itself as a classic elegant sports watch and the original reference, 3700/1 such as this watch, is one of the most sought-after timepieces at auction.

For a reference 3700/1 in white gold see lot 114 in this sale.

Ref. 3700/1 is described and illustrated in Patek Philippe Wristwatches by Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, second edition, p. 231.