Patek Philippe. A rare stainless steel automatic wristwatch with date, bracelet, original certificate and box
Lot 302

Patek Philippe. A rare stainless steel automatic wristwatch with date, bracelet, original certificate and box

SIGNED PATEK PHILIPPE, GENÈVE, NAUTILUS MODEL, REF. 3700/1, MOVEMENT NO. 1'304'936, CASE NO. 536'267, MANUFACTURED IN 1978

Closed12 November 2012

Price Realised

CHF 40,000

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Patek Philippe. A rare stainless steel automatic wristwatch with date, bracelet, original certificate and box
Signed Patek Philippe, Genève, Nautilus model, ref. 3700/1, movement no. 1'304'936, case no. 536'267, manufactured in 1978
Cal. 28-255C automatic 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, engraved inscription 1978 Stefan T. Bichsel to the back, stainless steel Patek Philippe bracelet and deployant clasp, 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 indexes, steel bracelet in 1978 and its subsequent sale on 14 December 1978. Furthermore delivered with Patek Philippe Certificate of Origin dated 14 December 1978, original fitted oval black leather presentation box.

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.

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