A rarely seen platinum example of the Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 3800/1P*, this piece is an intriguing twist on your typical luxury sports watch. The piece has a few especially desirable features, such as the entirely platinum case, the classic deep blue ridged dial, and a few unusual aspects, such as the individually hallmarked extra links.
Platinum is a rare metal to find on any Patek Philippe sports watch model. Notably, every inch of the case is platinum, from the case to the bracelet and even the bracelet pins themselves. The use of this metal invokes a truly luxurious impression that might seem jarring for a typical sportswatch, but on the reference 3800, it has an effortless presence on the wrist that does not feel at odds with the style of the watch.
In many ways, the reference 3800 is a scaled-down version of the original reference 3700, retaining many of the same features, from the ridged dial to the overall proportions. The stainless steel bracelet and signed clasp are excellently finished, with angular, bevelled, and polished edges. At 37.5mm in diameter and only 7.5mm thick, the Nautilus 3800 case is well-proportioned and wears comfortably on the wrist.
The blue ridged dial displays horizontal grooves with a deep blue and grey colouration. The applied hour markers are tritium-filled, with "dot" outer-minute divisions and a date aperture at 3 o’clock. The original date disc remains fitted to the watch, a white date disc featuring a subtle serif font. Evidence suggests that the dial was manufactured by Stern Créations, the storied manufacturer that also produced dials for the and the , among others.
In this example, the index markers and hands are manufactured from white gold, as indicated by the "σ · SWISS · σ" signature at the bottom of the dial. Three types of signatures exist for the reference: “σ SWISS σ", "σ · SWISS · σ" and “SWISS”. This is to signify the use of gold on the dial in the form of applied markers.
In this example, the hallmarks are found behind the upper lugs and on the butterly deploying clasp. Rather curiously, each of the extra links that accompany this piece is also individually hallmarked, which is very rarely done.
Closer look
| Brand: | Patek Philippe |
| Model: | Nautilus ref. 3800/1P |
| Movement: | automatic calibre 330 SC. |
| Functions: | date, hours, minutes, seconds |
| Features: | blue ribbed dial, closed case back, tritium indices & hands |
| Case material: | platinum |
| Case diameter: | 37.5mm |
| Case thickness: |
8mm |
| Lug-to-lug: |
39mm |
| Crystal: | sapphire front |
| Bracelet: | Patek Philippe platinum integrated bracelet (25 links of which 10 are removable), Patek Philippe butterfly depolyant |
| Year: | 1995 |
| Accompanying materials: | Archive Extract |
Condition
This Patek Philippe Nautilus 3800/1P is in excellent overall condition. The caseback service sticker is still in tact, and the case and bracelet show virtually no signs of wear. Only extremely light superficial marks, with all correct polished and brushed finishing throughout.
The tritium dial has been extremely well preserved, as has the matching tritium handset. The hallmarks found on the caseback and additional removable links are crisp and well defined.
Warranty
The watch comes with a two-year warranty from A Collected Man, alongside a lifetime guarantee of authenticity.
