Collection
patrick_y celebrates 50 years of the Patek Philippe Nautilus, sharing his personal journey with the reference 5712/1A. His post invites fellow collectors to reflect on their own Nautilus experiences and favorite variants, highlighting the watch's enduring appeal and versatility.
The Patek Philippe reference 3700 is recognized as the original Nautilus model. It established the distinctive porthole-inspired case design and integrated bracelet that define the collection. This reference was produced for a significant period, laying the foundation for subsequent Nautilus iterations and solidifying its place in the brand's sports watch offerings.
This reference features a stainless steel case measuring 42 mm in diameter and 7.6 mm in thickness, fitted with a sapphire crystal. It houses the self-winding Caliber 28-20 C, which provides a power reserve of 45 hours. The watch is water-resistant to 120 meters and typically presents with a blue dial, offering a date complication.
The 3700 appeals to collectors interested in the foundational pieces of significant watch lines. It represents the initial vision for the Nautilus, preceding later mid-size and complicated versions. Its production run from 1976 to 1990 saw various dial and bracelet configurations, making specific examples of interest to those studying the model's evolution.
I have had two, the latter being the 5711 and the former the comet (3710/1A-001). The comet had a Matt dial which I did not get on with. They were both bought from the Geneva Salon for now relatively modest sums. The slim case, integrated bracelet, blue hue dial and water resistance appealed to me before they became mainstream. And they both had dates! Patek 30 years ago was more under the radar than today. Thatβs marketing for you. I gave the 5711 to my father when the hype made the 5711 a liab
Thank you so much for sharing your touching story! Didn't like the comet? That's okay. I find the comet a little strange too; how when you wind it the sub-dial moves and when the power reserve elapses, he hand moves but the sub-dial remains constant. Kind of strange and whimsical. I'm looking forward to seeing how Patek celebrates the Nautilus 50th anniversary! Looking forward to the announcements!
I was offered a ref 3700 at an extraaordinary price of around 25kpounds. I knew nothing about the different dials and I still do not know if that watch was all original or had a service dial. BuI met M Stanga and my education began I learned all about the different dial available, I learnt that there were many watches out there with service dials . But I never came across another 370 until Iwas going to Paris . There is a stunning collector there called Teddy who seems to always have the best re
But I have to admit, as confusing and confounding the 3710 can be, it is undeniably a very handsome and under appreciated Nautilus! I really like your 3800 - with the matching color date disc. Sharp looking piece - but looking at your wrist size, I think the 3710 looks great on your wrist - and I prefer the 3710 over the 3800 on your wrist. I'm so glad you made a point to educate yourself about this watch before plunging both feet in!
You know I share your love for 5712. Itβs one of my favorite references of tue nautilus model. Although they are all wonderful IMHO.
I generally prefer all the thinner Nautilus models myself. But admittedly, I especially like the 5980 Nautilus models!
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