Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3800
- Maker / attribution
- Patek Philippe (maker)
- Date
- 1995
- Historical period
- Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 39 mm
- Stock no.
- Product 8976840982845
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Oliver & Clarke (product 8976840982845)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 3800 (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Oliver & Clarke (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number Product 8976840982845), this is a wristwatch by Patek Philippe, made in Switzerland, dated 1995. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 39 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Oliver & Clarke
Straight Facts The Nautilus is another Gérald Genta icon, sibling to the Royal Oak and arguably the engine of today's sports-watch hype. So how did Patek Philippe become famous for a steel, time-only watch? Somewhat by accident. In the late 1960s, the Stern family, who still own Patek, kept hearing the same request: a steel sports watch. Their most devoted clients, buyers of high complications and precious-metal dress pieces, wanted to wear nothing but Patek. Genta was brought in to design a sports watch worthy of the name, and, as with the Royal Oak, the steel case received the elaborate finishing normally reserved for gold and platinum. Sporty, yes, but a Patek first. Where the Royal Oak is more rugged, the Nautilus has softer curves and no exposed screws. Launched in a 39mm 'Jumbo' size, it later expanded to mid-size and ladies' models. This 1995 example is a 3800 mid-size with the signature blue tapestry dial. At 37mm it suits a wide range of wrists, and it comes with an Extract of the Archives from Patek. Its tritium dial and hands will continue to age gracefully. As the saying goes, you never truly own a Patek Philippe; you merely look after it for the next generation. *Marks or spots that appear on the dial are reflections or dust on the crystal caused by high-intensity strobe lighting during photography, and are not visible in natural light.
Historical context
Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)
Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.
Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution
Atlas type guide
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
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