The Patek Philippe Nautilus continues to be one of the most sought-after timepieces in the world, with a lengthy waiting list for anyone purchasing through an AD and secondary market prices fetching considerably above the retail price. A brief history first. In order to compete with the Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet, which was introduced in 1972, the original Nautilus was introduced in 1976. Given their comparable aesthetics, it is perhaps not unexpected that both watches were created by Gérald Genta.
The Imperial State, late Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, is in this 1979 photo wearing a vintage Patek Philippe “Jumbo” Nautilus reference 3700/1J from 1978, which was only the third year of this models production. It features a 42 mm case in 18k yellow gold surrounding a black dial, fully linked with the more sought after ‘wider’ bracelet. Price market: $250,000.00 USD
