Released in 1976 as Patek Philippe's response to the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, an avant-garde luxury stainless steel sports watch borne from AP's necessity to survive the Quartz Crisis, the Nautilus was Patek Philippe's attempt to go head to head with AP's increasingly popular sports watch. Designed by Gerald Genta, the same man that had designed the Royal Oak, the Nautilus was inspired by a porthole and thus features a rounded-over octagonal bezel and hinge-like protrusions on either side of its case. Featuring its signature horizontally embossed dial and iconic integrated bracelet, the Nautilus has become the most sought-after watch in the market today as collectors clamor over available examples thanks to its iconic design, extreme exclusivity, and impeccable craftsmanship. Famed as the very first variant, the Nautilus ref. 3700 was nicknamed the “Jumbo” thanks to its enormous, for the time, 42mm case. An unpopular timepiece from the get-go, the ref. 3700 failed to sell as well as Patek may have hoped, thanks to its significant departure from what Patek was known for at the time – complicated timepieces and classical dress watches. So, today the ref. 3700/1A exists as a rare timepiece indeed with approximately 3500 pieces produced until the ref. 3700/1A's discontinuation in 1990. While it might be the most 'common' of the ref. 3700 variants, it is still an incredibly rare watch. Indeed, considering the appetite for stainless steel Nautilus variants, particularly the full-sized ref. 3700, it is a comparatively harder timepiece to get one's hands on than its precious metal siblings.

Watch is in excellent overall condition. Case has a crisp bezel that shows light wear and scratches, as does the rest of the case. Bracelet shows some scratches, primarily on the polished center links. As indicated in the included service documents, the watch case and bracelet were "refreshed" at a service in 1984. The dial is in near-mint condition showing none of the typical degredation that Nautilus dials sometimes do. The lume is uniform in color. Bracelet has 19 links, 5 of which are removable. There are two additional links included with the watch. Bracelet exhibits light stretch.

An icon within the world of horology, the Nautilus is the ultimate must-have timepiece for any collector, with the ref. 3700/1A being one of the most important, thanks to its status as the earliest, and collectible variants thanks to its stainless steel construction. While vintage co-signed Nautilus examples are hard enough to come by as it is, examples like this that are complete sets with additional documentation such as original sales receipts and service papers are all but impossible to find, so we are delighted to offer this to you today. We love the original cork box that is included with the watch, as these have become collectibles in their own right.