Brand:
Patek Philippe
Model:
Nautilus
Year:
1980
Reference:
3700/1
Archive Papers:
Included
Warranty:
12 months
Overall Condition:
Very Good
Wear level Case:
Barely visible
Wear level Caseback:
Barely visible
Wear level Dial:
None
Wear level Crystal:
None
Wear level Bezel:
Barely visible
Wear level Bracelet Clasp:
Noticeable
Movement Type:
Automatic
Caliber:
28-255 C
Case Material:
Yellow Gold
Case Diameter:
42 mm
Case Thickness:
7.6 mm
Bezel Material:
Yellow Gold
Crystal:
Sapphire crystal
Dial Color:
Black
Bracelet Material:
Yellow Gold
Bracelet Color:
Gold
Clasp Type:
Fold clasp
Clasp Material:
Yellow Gold
Functions:
Date, Central seconds, Vintage
The Nautilus was shown by Patek Philippe at Basel in 1976, drawn by Gérald Genta, who is said to have sketched it in a few minutes at the fair. He took the porthole of a transatlantic liner as his starting point, with a bezel that closes on two hinges and a case that flows straight into the bracelet. At 42mm it was so large for its time that collectors still call it the Jumbo, yet it is only about 7.6mm thick, because calibre 28-255 C, based on the Jaeger-LeCoultre 920, is among the thinnest automatic movements with a central rotor ever made.
This is the 3700/1 in yellow gold, a metal that suits it better than its reputation as a steel watch suggests. The brushed surfaces of the bezel and the links take the light softly, while the polished centre links catch it, and the matte black ribbed dial sits in the middle with yellow gold indices that are filled with tritium. It is also the scarcer version: of more than 7,000 watches of reference 3700, fewer than 1,150 were made in yellow gold.