Nautilus 3800/1A | Steel

First unveiled by Patek Philippe in the 1970s and designed by Gérald Genta - who incidentally designed the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak amongst others - the Nautilus has become a cultural icon due to its distinctive features and its role as a pioneer for high-end luxury sports watches. This mid-size Reference 3800 was introduced in 1981, and is distinguished by its vintage size and modern appeal. 

The Mid-Size Nautilus

In 1976, Patek Philippe introduced the first-ever Nautilus, the reference 3700. A few years later, in response to the slow start of the original model, the manufacture released the mid-size reference 3800. With a reduced diameter of 37.5mm, down from an imposing 42mm, it was meant to bring the Nautilus design to a wider audience. The more palatable size, as well as the wider range of configurations it was available in, made it an appealing alternative.

The reference was produced for nearly two decades, proving to be a success amongst collectors from the time. The steel example is known to appear in catalogues until 2006, with the yellow gold appearing as late as 2007, in parallel to the successor reference, the 5800. From 2008 onwards, it disappears completely from official catalogues.

The Design

In many ways, the reference 3800 is a scaled-down version of the original reference 3700, retaining many of the same features, from the ridged dial to the overall proportions. The stainless steel bracelet and signed clasp are excellently finished, with angular, beveled and polished edges. At 37.5mm in diameter, and only 7.5mm thick, the Nautilus 38000 case is well proportioned and wears comfortably on the wrist.

The blue ridged dial displays horizontal grooves with a deep blue and grey colouration. The applied hour markers are tritium-filled, with "dot" outer-minute divisions, and a date aperture at 3 o’clock. The original date disc remains fitted to the watch, with a subtle serif font. Evidence suggests that the dial was manufactured by Stern Créations, the storied manufacturer which also produced dials for the Patek Philippe Nautilus and the Rolex “Stella” models, among others.

With this example, the index-markers and hands are manufactured from white gold, as indicated by the “σ SWISS σ” signature at the bottom of the dial. Three types of signatures exist for the reference: “σ · SWISS · σ”, “σ SWISS σ” and “SWISS”. This is to signify the use of gold on the dial, in the form of applied markers. It is safe to say that any watch produced prior to 1995 which has gold on the dial – that is to say all ridged dials with applied indexes – should feature one of the two sigma signatures.

The movement

As a result of Patek Philippe's decision to develop its own in-house, ultra-slim movement, the reference 3800 features an updated calibre 335 S C (for “seconde centrale” or “central seconds”), replacing the previous calibre 28-255C movement.

The calibre 335 S C features 29 jewels, a straight-line lever escapement, monometallic balance; adjusted to cold, heat, isochronism, and 5 positions, a self-compensating flat balance spring and a shock absorber mechanism. Furthermore, the solid-gold rotor is finished in classic Patek Philippe style, with circular Geneva stripes.

If sold within the United Kingdom, this Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 3800/1A will be subject to 20% VAT. 

Closer look