Patek Philippe Nautilus 3700/001 'Type 1 dot dial'

Seventees ‘Jumbo’ Nautilus with early ‘Type 1 dot dial’ .

In order to survive, Patek Philippe launched the Nautilus. It was a reaction to the massive decline in sales due to the introduction of quartz watches. Audemars Piguet released the Royal Oak in 1972, creating a new breed of timepieces: luxury sports watches. Patek Philippe turned to the same designer, Gerald Genta, to create a similar piece. The Nautilus was Patek Philippe's venture into a new species of watches. Initially, this groundbreaking -porthole inspired- model was launched in steel; yet carried the exorbitant price tag of $3100USD

The 3700 is the original Nautilus, with this specimen dating back to the late 70's. The iconic octagonal case, designed by Gerald Genta, is executed in stainless steel and measures 42 mm (from the 10 to 4 o‘clock position). Attached to the case, we find the well-known integrated stainless steel Nautilus bracelet with sturdy folding clasp. Only until 1981 the case is made by Favre Perret and the bracelet by Gay Freres. Approximately 3500 of these "1st series" have been made in steel.

The dial is most certainly iconic. Showcasing once again, they are taking it a step further (in terms of finishing) than sport watch counterparts from other brands. The embossed bars on the dark surface -or "ribbed" as the maison describes it- adds grandeur to an otherwise straightforward dial lay-out.. The applied indices are baton shaped, and just like the hands, are filled with tritium as luminescent compound. The absence of an hour markers at the 3 o'clock position allows the date function to be present. Even though the color is always described as "Matte black" on the extract, in reality it is so much more rich; ranging from dark blue to anthracite. This is the earliest dial configuration featuring the dot markers for the minute track, also referred to as "type 1 Dot dial;" by Nautilus scholar Mstanga.

To emphasise once more the Nautilus isn't just a utility watch, Patek Philippe relied on one of the thinnest and finest automatic movements. Cal. 28-255C is based on the renowned 920 from Jaeger-LeCoultre. The watch is in excellent condition, with a sharp case and tight bracelet. Furthermore, it comes with the original box and papers; dating it to 1979.