Is the ‘Jumbo’ Nautilus too large for your wrist or wallet? No worries, we got you covered with the mid-size ref. 3800.

The ref. 3800 is the midsize brother of the original ref. 3700 Nautilus, coming in at a perfect 37.5mm. The 3800 wasn’t just a shrunken Nautilus, but introduced some important improvements vis-a-vis its older brother. For one, it was the first Nautilus with an in-house automatic movement: the caliber 335 SC. The letters “SC” stand for seconde centrale and indicate that, unlike the big Nautilus, the 3800 comes with a central seconds hand. It’s a small detail but it gives the watch some dynamism.

This beauty from 1982 features a number of important details that can only be found in the earliest 3800s, during.a small batch. Most important among them is the dial color: a lovely vivacious blue that is much more vibrant than the ‘regular’ blue 3800 dials. Another cool detail is the black date disc with contrasting white text. Meanwhile, two printed Greek sigmas (“σ swiss σ”) at the six o’clock position indicate that the indices and hands are made of 18K white gold.

This 3800 is in excellent condition with a sharp case. The bracelet, a later service replacement, is in fine condition as well, featuring moderate stretch and the upgraded butterfly clasp. Supplied with the extract of the archives.