Patek Philippe
Nautilus 'Jumbo', Reference 3700/1 | A stainless steel wristwatch with date and bracelet | Made in 1978
Auction Closed
November 9, 12:39 PM GMT
Estimate
60,000 - 120,000 CHF
Lot Details
Description
Dial: black-blue
Calibre: cal. 28-255C automatic, 36 jewels
Movement number: 1'306'355
Case: stainless steel, bezel secured by 4 screws
Case number: 538'370
Closure: stainless steel Patek Philippe Nautilus bracelet and folding clasp
Size: 42 mm diameter(9-3 o'clock), bracelet circumference approximately 190 mm
Signed: case, dial and movement
Box: no
Papers: no
Accessories: Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming date of sale on July 11, 1979, original invoice and service invoice dated July 2011
The Patek Philippe Nautilus was launched in 1976 during the quartz crisis, which was hitting the Swiss watches industry hard at the time. Created by Gérald Genta, the iconic porthole-inspired design endured the crisis and is still extremely popular today. The first Nautilus reference was the 3700, such as the present lot. It produced until 1998 though steel versions were only made until 1986/1987. Boasting a large case for the time period, the nickname 'Jumbo' was adopted by collectors and stuck ever since.
When launched, Patek Philippe advertised the model as possibly the most expensive steel watch on the market which is still accurate today since succeeding references are definitely among the most expensive steel watches produced in series, often attaining even higher prices on the secondary market.