3700/11J Patek Philippe Nautilus

Despite the hype cycles, the Nautilus is a very significant and enduring design. It changed the gravity of the brand in the modern era. After being asked by Patek Philippe to design a sports watch to rival the new Royal Oak, Genta designed this porthole-shaped on a napkin while at dinner around Basel fair in 1974. At least that's how the story goes. This was four years after the 5402 and way back when Patek Philippe cut no corners and spared no expense to create the highest quality sporting wristwatch that 1976 could manage.

The photography for the first these images of this find are courtesy of a prior Phillips example, a previously sold 3700/11J in similar condition to the example we are featuring in the market now. 

It's easy to view the 3700 as a bit derivative of the Royal Oak, in philosophy, by Patek Philippe. The nuanced story is more interesting. Genta designed a handful of integrated sports watches simultaneously around the 5402. Supposedly, after the Royal Oak release, Genta spotted Henri Stern having lunch with some senior members and pitched them a design that hadn’t been used at AP. The official line is that Patek asked him, it's not certain either way. Then came the sketch on that day's dinner. Whether that's history or fiction, Henri went for it. It was the first H-link bracelet with a porthole bezel, still clearly Genta but distinct. The rest is history, with etymology from Jules Verne. Where the suggested RRP of a 5402 was a daring 1600 US, the 3700’s price was nearly double at 3100, steel vs steel. The confident design and daring asking price cemented the category and bolstered AP’s success as well.

Importantly, the 3700 stands apart from modern executions just on quality alone. The bracelet is screw construction, 150 pieces finished by hand. The case is monocoque, two piece and front-loading. The ‘ears’ of its design allow it to hinge open. Its dial sports hand-carved ribs, made at Stern. And it’s a Geneva Seal 920 ébacuhe. The 3700 used two casemakers, Favre Perret and Gay Fréres for the /1, then five years later Ateliers Réunis for the /11 which used a more tapered bracelet with thin links. The /11s are about half as produced, this is one. Current estimates place first series (/1) production at 3500 in steel, 600 bimetal, 1000 yellow gold, 40 white gold, and one platinum. Second (/11) reads 1300 steel, 300 bimetal, 500 yellow, 25, white, and 2 platinum. First series wear more stout, second more slender. All feel like eternally-lasting objects of extreme quality on wrist, which can’t be said of many modern counterparts. Whatever you make of the design, the thin refinement of the first 3700 has not been bettered.

This example is lovely. Its case is sharp with full edges. The dial shows no signs of damage and the signatures are correct. Hallmarks are lovely. It comes from a well-regarded Malaysian retailer.