174
Patek Philippe
Ref. 3700/003
Nautilus
A superb yellow gold and diamond-set wristwatch with date and bracelet, service sealed
- Estimate
- CHF100,000 - 200,000€102,000 - 205,000$110,000 - 219,000
CHF196,850
Lot Details
- Manufacturer
- Patek Philippe
- Year
- Circa 1980
- Reference No
- 3700/003
- Movement No
- 1'308'522
- Case No
- 54'460
- Model Name
- Nautilus
- Material
- 18k yellow gold
- Calibre
- Automatic, cal. 28 255C, 36 jewels
- Bracelet/Strap
- 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe bracelet
- Clasp/Buckle
- 18K yellow gold Patek Philippe deployant clasp
- Dimensions
- 42mm Diameter
- Signed
- Case, dial, movement and clasp signed
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
What started as Patek Philippe’s first leisure luxury watch has slowly evolved into a full collection of time only and complicated timepieces made in steel and precious metals, highly coveted by collectors with waiting list that can be counted in years.
Gerald Genta’s design, inspired by the portholes of transatlantic ocean liners, was named after Captain Nemo’s Nautilus submarine from Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The ‘Jumbo’ case with wide flat bezel, integrated link bracelet, and ultra-thin automatic movement had a masculine aesthetic compared to the smaller dressy gold mechanical watches of the time.
The original Nautilus reference 3700 presented in 1976 was intended as a luxury sports watch and thus was made in steel, however in the 1980s Patek Philippe decided to create a very small number of pieces in yellow gold adding a dash of glamour to its iconic design.
Patek Philippe pushed its own boundaries by creating an even rarer version of the gold Nautilus with a bezel elegantly set with two rows of diamonds adding extra flamboyance to the watch. So rare is the reference 3700/ 003 that the present fresh to the market example is only the 8th known.
The present example is still service sealed and as such in extremely strong condition.
Gerald Genta’s design, inspired by the portholes of transatlantic ocean liners, was named after Captain Nemo’s Nautilus submarine from Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The ‘Jumbo’ case with wide flat bezel, integrated link bracelet, and ultra-thin automatic movement had a masculine aesthetic compared to the smaller dressy gold mechanical watches of the time.
The original Nautilus reference 3700 presented in 1976 was intended as a luxury sports watch and thus was made in steel, however in the 1980s Patek Philippe decided to create a very small number of pieces in yellow gold adding a dash of glamour to its iconic design.
Patek Philippe pushed its own boundaries by creating an even rarer version of the gold Nautilus with a bezel elegantly set with two rows of diamonds adding extra flamboyance to the watch. So rare is the reference 3700/ 003 that the present fresh to the market example is only the 8th known.
The present example is still service sealed and as such in extremely strong condition.
Patek Philippe
Swiss | 1839Since its founding in 1839, this famous Geneva-based firm has been surprising its clientele with superbly crafted timepieces fitted with watchmaking's most prestigious complications. Traditional and conservative designs are found across Patek Philippe's watches made throughout their history — the utmost in understated elegance.Well-known for the Graves Supercomplication — a highly complicated pocket watch that was the world’s most complicated watch for 50 years — this family-owned brand has earned a reputation of excellence around the world. Patek's complicated vintage watches hold the highest number of world records for results achieved at auction compared with any other brand. For collectors, key models include the reference 1518, the world's first serially produced perpetual calendar chronograph, and its successor, the reference 2499. Other famous models include perpetual calendars such as the ref. 1526, ref. 3448 and 3450, chronographs such as the reference 130, 530 and 1463, as well as reference 1436 and 1563 split seconds chronographs. Patek is also well-known for their classically styled, time-only "Calatrava" dress watches, and the "Nautilus," an iconic luxury sports watch first introduced in 1976 as the reference 3700 that is still in production today.
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