3800R PINK GOLD
An exciting find, this pink gold Nautilus reference 3800R is so rare that only 3 examples are known publicly today and it is thought that less than 10 were ever made in total. To rank it in terms of the rarest ever Patek Philippe Nautilus, this sublime timepiece is exactly equal in exclusivity to the platinum reference 3700-1P. It is therefore one of the hardest to find and most desirable key pieces of the entire Nautilus range. As such, the present watch with diamond-set dial, entirely fresh to the market and offered here for the first time at auction, affords collectors with the exceptional opportunity to possess one of the ultimate trophies among luxury precious metal Nautilus.
Manufactured in 1989, the present second series pink gold Nautilus with quick-set date immediately impresses with its Extract-confirmed diamond index dial – an extreme rarity in itself, it confers a further layer of distinction upon this most special of Nautilus watches.
We are grateful to Eric and Gabriel Tortella for their kind assistance in researching this piece.
Reference 3800
The Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 3800 was launched in 1981 and discontinued in 2006. The model was the first evolution of the original 1976 Nautilus 42 mm. ‘Jumbo’ reference 3700. In the early years of Nautilus production, not all Patek Philippe customers were ready to wear such a large (for the time) wristwatch. To satisfy demand for a slightly smaller Nautilus, the reference 3800 was introduced with a diameter of 37.5 millimeters. Although smaller in size, the reference 3800 remained true to the original Nautilus design. The main change for the model was the addition of a sweep center seconds hand with the adoption of the in-house Patek Philippe caliber 335 SC. In common with the reference 3700, the 3800 was predominantly cased in steel, some in bicolor steel and gold, yellow gold and very a small number in pink gold, white gold and platinum.
Ref. 3800/1 and calibre 335 are illustrated in:
Patek Philippe Wristwatches, Martin Huber & Alan Banbery, 1998 edition, pp. 232 & 233.
Post Lot Text
Please note that bidding for this lot will increase by increments of US $10,000, or as determined by Christie’s in its sole discretion.