Whereas the Nautilus reference 3700/1 was in production until 1981 and featured a straight bracelet, its successor the reference 3700/11 with tapered bracelet remained in production until 1990. With its aesthetics kept very similar to its predecessor, the 3700/11 was fitted with a narrower bracelet measuring 14mm at the end in comparison to the 3700/1’s bracelet measuring 16mm.

Cased in two-tone 18K yellow gold and stainless steel, the present watch embodies to perfection the aesthetic cues of the 1980s: statement colors with playfulness. Its gold inner links add flair, sophistication, and a suave cool factor to an already iconic watch. Neither craftmanship nor quality were left to fate. Its champagne dial was handmade with utmost precision by Stern Frères with engraved stripes to achieve a uniform ribbed texture. Further, the present watch is one of the rarest iterations of the model, a reference 3700/11, as it is estimated only 300 examples were cased in two-tone 18K yellow gold and stainless steel, while 1500 examples were made in stainless steel. Only four examples, including this one, have come to the market in this configuration.

Though both rare and attractive, the real draw of this example is the utterly impeccable state of preservation. Truly “new-old-stock”, it retains all of its original factory finishes, and exceptionally, its original caseback sticker is perfectly preserved. All chamfers and brushed and polished edges are utterly original, making this a museum-quality example of a 3700/11, and ideal for the Patek Philippe connoisseur.