This seems rather surprising today, when the market value of a 3700 is several multiples of that of a 3800.
Though it is unclear exactly why, Schütz speculates that this price difference may have been due to the fact that the 3800 integrated a centre second or that it was a newly introduced model. Firstly, rather surprisingly, a 3800 in steel was actually more expensive than a steel 3700. While a price list from September 1981 does not feature the 3800, it does appear from 1982 onwards.Ī 1982 price list from Germany shows a few interesting details. Wulf Schütz, founder of the Swiss vintage watch dealership Rare & Fine Vintage Watches, shared with us archival Patek Philippe price lists from the period. Originally introduced in 1981, the 3800 was only available to clients from the following year. For a long time, few had actually had the opportunity, or indeed willingness, to try on the mid-sized reference, long dismissed as a woman’s watch. Meanwhile, its mid-size relative was often overlooked by collectors, on account of its smaller proportions and perceived lesser significance, compared to the original. Principally thanks to the efforts of collectors such as Mstanga, who authored an in-depth guide on the 3700 based on over a decade of research, most of the minutiae of the original has been broken down. In more recent times, as the Nautilus has increasingly captivated collectors, collective knowledge about the original model has gained an impressive depth. The more palatable size, as well as the wider range of configurations it was available in, made it an appealing alternative. With a reduced diameter of 37.5mm, down from an imposing 42mm, it was meant to bring the Nautilus design to a wider audience. Patek Philippe introduced the mid-size reference 3800. A few years later, in response to the slow start of the original model, While the appreciation and collectability of the model has now been cemented, the story of what came next is less prominent. The first steel sports watch to come from Patek Philippe changed the trajectory of the company and in some ways, the industry at large. The story of the original Nautilus, the 3700, has been told a hundred times, from a hundred different points of view.
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