Why We Love It

While the Nautilus is without question one of the great horological icons of the 1970s, it has in recent years once again become one of the most in-demand timepiece models on the planet.

Collectors and prospectors alike are clamoring to get their hands on Genta's second great luxury sports watch, and with the recent news of the discontinuation of their current collection steel model - the legendary Reference 5711 - this dramatic rise shows no signs of slowing down. 

This midsize Nautilus, a Reference 3800/1, embodies all of the porthole-inspired character of its larger siblings. Dating from the 1980s, this 3800 series is presented in an elegant 37mm steel and 18k yellow gold case with matching integrated bracelet, Patek Philippe Calibre 335SC automatic movement, and a classic blue tapestry dial.

The Nautilus - in any of its variations - is a very special thing. But there's something about a two-tone blue dial that just does it for us.

The Story

Patek Philippe’s history has been driven by its discerning female clientele.

One of the company’s earliest clients was a Madame Goscinska, who bought the first three watches Patek Philippe ever produced. Although meant to be worn on brooches or suspended from chains at the waist, these watches were remarkable for their exquisite construction, featuring enamel decorations surrounded by diamonds, and often containing complications like a keyless winding system.

Queen Victoria herself fell in love with one such watch at the Great Exhibition in London in 1851.

When Patek Philippe made its first wristwatches in the 1870s, they were not for men, but for women, who liked the practicality of a wrist-worn watch while engaged in sports like horseback riding. These watches were petite and stylish, and powered by movements so small that they could fit into a ring. To manufacture parts on such a scale requires mastery, which the watchmakers at Patek Philippe certainly possessed… and still do.