It has been 45 years since the creation of the original Patek Philippe Nautilus and this now-classic piece, is more popular than ever. 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.

A mid-size Nautilus

The reference 3800/1J was first produced in the early 1980s, as an alternative to the ‘Jumbo’ 3700 - with a reduced diameter of 37.5mm - in response to the initially slow start of the original reference. As with all Nautilus examples, the reference 3800/1 features an integrated, water-tight "porthole" case, famously penned by Mr. Gérald Genta.

In essence, the reference 3800 is a scaled-down version of the 3700. This watch displays a blue ridged dial, with horizontal grooves, in addition to white outer-minute divisions, polished baton hands with luminous inserts and a date aperture at 3 o’clock, as seen on the first iterations of Nautilus. These key elements of Nautilus DNA help make this mid-sized variant an instantly recognisable silhouette.

An all-gold design

An all-gold Nautilus is a bit of a paradox. The Nautilus was originally conceived as a luxury steel watch, yet its design and proportions render wonderfully when executed in yellow gold. The all-gold design of the watch, with the subtle white date disc, emphasises its visual richness and vintage inspiration. 

In yellow gold models, some examples can be found with a matching yellow gold dial - which have recently started appealing to a growing number of collectors - whilst this blue dial example has traditionally been the most popular variant, a versatile combination and an unmistakable nod towards the very earliest Nautilus configuration.

The Design

With this example, the index-markers and hands are manufactured from yellow gold, indicated by the lower case Greek letter ‘sigma’ at the bottom of the dial. The ‘sigma’ signature was a visual declaration of the use of precious materials, and was adopted by a number of manufactures from the ’70s onwards - emphasising the inherent value of a high-quality, mechanical watch. 

Like the ref. 3700, the case and integrated bracelet are excellently finished, with angular, beveled and polished edges. The polished bezel and case edges fantastically-contrast with the brushed surface of the case and bracelet. This particular 3800J features a seldom-seen "thin" bracelet, where the individual links are slimmer than those commonly found on most Nautilus 3800 watches.

The watch also features a white gold deployant buckle, as indicated by the '750' stamp visible on one of the blades. At 37.5mm in diameter, and only 7.5mm thick, this 3800 Nautilus case is an elegant twist of perspectives and size, and wears comfortably on the wrist.  

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 second”), 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 shock absorber mechanism. Furthermore, the solid-gold rotor is finished in classic Patek Philippe style, with circular Geneva stripes.

The Set

This Patek Philippe Nautilus 3800/1J is accompanied by its original outer box and wooden inner box. While steel models came in a different style of box, the gold models were almost always accompanied by a wooden box in this style.

It comes with its original 3800/001 yellow gold bracelet (with "thin" links) and signed white gold clasp. This particular example comes with 24 links, including 11 removable ones, which is rather unusual to find. 

If sold within the United Kingdom, this Patek Philippe Nautilus 3800/001J will be subject to 20% VAT. Viewings are currently suspended for the time being.

To find out more about the Nautilus 3800, read our in-depth Collector's Guide.

Closer look