The ref. 4700 occupies an interesting position within the early history of the Nautilus. Introduced in 1981 as a smaller counterpart to the original ref. 3700, it retained Gérald Genta's distinctive porthole-inspired architecture and integrated bracelet while reducing the proportions to approximately 28 x 25mm. Rather than simply being a scaled-down mechanical Nautilus, Patek Philippe equipped the reference with a quartz movement, reflecting both the technology and tastes of the period. Early examples therefore represent a very particular chapter in the evolution of what would eventually become one of Patek Philippe's most important collections.

Dating to the mid-1980s, this ref. 4700/1JA combines stainless steel with 18K yellow gold and features a white dial with applied gold baton hour markers. Particularly attractive is the contrasting black date disc, an early detail that provides a distinctive period touch compared with the white date discs encountered on later examples. Like its larger ref. 3700 relative, the ref. 4700 is associated with cases produced by Favre-Perret and dials supplied by Stern Frères. This example was serviced through official Patek Philippe retailer G. Collins & Sons in January 2026 and is accompanied by the corresponding service documentation.