DESCRIPTION
One of the most sought-after references in the Patek Philippe Nautilus collection is undoubtedly the 3800. The 3800/1 was first produced in the early 1980s, as an alternative to the 3700 and with a diameter of 37.5 mm. The watch we are offering is from 1991, in steel, and is a rarity among these highly desired references. A rarity that comes from the blue dial, whose indexes are made with 11 diamonds set. Typically, indexes with precious stones are only found on Nautilus in precious metal, gold or platinum, while there are few examples in steel with dials set with diamonds. Specifically, for this variant there is no precise information on the number of watches produced, but in recent years no more than fifteen have appeared at auction, the last one at Christie's in Hong Kong in 2017. It is therefore assumed that the total released by the Genevan manufacturer is not far from this figure.
In this example, the polished baton hands with luminous inserts have developed a warm patina that complements the cool tones of the dial. The watch features a light-colored date disc, unlike other similar references that have a dark one. The lowercase Greek letter “sigma” at the bottom of the dial is a visual statement of the use of precious materials and was adopted by numerous manufacturers during the 1970s, underlining the intrinsic value of a high-quality mechanical watch. The case and integrated bracelet are beautifully finished, with angular, chamfered and polished edges. The watch is powered by an updated caliber 335 S C (short for “center seconds”), replacing the previous caliber 28-255C. The solid gold rotor is finished with circular Côtes de Genève. This Nautilus is completed with a Patek Philippe Extract from the Archive and an exclusive Watch Insanity presentation case.
