Maybe you already have a Rolex Day Date and you're looking for your next watch something
a little different, or maybe you have your eyes on a 5711 steel Nautilus and just can't
get your hands on one.
I might have the perfect solution for you
Here at SwissWatchExpo Fresh from the Showcase we're showing off today.
The Patek Philippe 3800.
This is a 3800J it is the yellow gold version of a Nautilus that you don't see a whole lot.
It's pretty rare.
And it's interesting for a lot of different reasons.
It was launched in 1981 as sort of a broader appeal Nautilus, the its big brother, the
3700 came in at 42 millimeter was a pretty bulky watch.
When Patek Philippe decided that they wanted to make something with a little bit more appeal
to a wider range of audience in 1981, the fashion was for smaller watches.
And so this one came in as sort of a mid-size at 37 and a half millimeter.
Sometimes you'll see it listed as a 38 millimeter, but that's the square measurement.
And it wears bigger than that, but what's great about this watch.
They really stretched their wings as far as different creativity and their dials.
There are, from what I could tell and the research I've done over 20 different dials
they made for this watch.
And so you could really get into the collecting on it, but the main thing different about
this one that you'll love is just the way it sits on the wrist.
It's a very thin watch, especially compared to the, the big brother, the 3,700.
And when you have it on, it just is kind of the perfect size.
It visually I think in the gold watch, you tend to connect the bracelet to the watch.
And so it gives a, a bigger overall feel than you would think from a watch that we're calling
midsize, but at the same time, it is technically larger than a Rolex Day Date of the same era.
It is thinner because it's got this great combination of brushed and it just looks fantastic.
I think you could wear this really anywhere from very casual to very dressy and it would
be right at home.
So let's talk about some of the technical features of it.
And starting with that dial, this one's really beautiful.
This is what they had listed as a white ceramic dial.
It's not really white.
It's a little bit off white, I would say, but it has applied 18 Kara gold Baton markers
with loom dots at the ends.
This one is from 2007.
So the, the previous models had some Roman numerals and lots of other, as I say, different
dial color configurations with the horizontal striations, that sort of thing.
This one is being a ceramic dial.
That's relatively unadorned, it's just a beautiful look, very, very classy.
A great look, but definitely recognizable with the brushed and polished porthole design
with the winglets that you've come to expect from the Nautilus.
This one to me really is very true to the original Gerald Genta design because of those
features.
It is a non-screw down crown but because of the way the case and case backer designed,
it still achieves a 120 meter water resistance rating.
So you can absolutely wear it every day and not worry a thing about it.
This is probably the most comfortable Nautilus bracelet I've ever tried on.
It just feels silky smooth against the skin and typical to the Nautilus.
When you run your fingers up and down the sides, it's just perfection.
You don't feel any sort of catch whatsoever.
These link are perfectly tapered from one to the other, and it perfectly brings this
polished edge from the edge of the case, right into the polished edge on the edge of the
links.
When you get to the clasp, this one is again from 2007.
So this is the third generation of the clasp you fold each side over, and then it has this
sort of clam shell here that buttons the whole thing up, and the Patek Philippe Calatrava
seal is engraved into it, not applied on the surface.
The crown of course, has the Patek logo, Sapphire crystal.
This one is the model with the quick set date.
When these first came out in 1981, they didn't all have the quick set quick set, but this
one does.
So it's super convenient, the case on this one, when you look at it, it is mint condition.
And again from 2007 with the box and the papers, we've got the certificate of origin and everything
on it.
I think that a lot of people would use the word investment grade with this it's a super
collectible watch, not nearly as expensive as the 5711 steel watch.
So it makes me think this is probably a good time to buy this.
I mean, it's hard to, to say that a gold watch at this price point is a bargain, but compared
to the steel watches, it really is.
And the fact is you've got a lot of inherent value in it being a gold watch.
It's also a great watch.
If you already own maybe a couple of gold watches, maybe you've already got the Rolex
Day Date and you're looking for something a little thinner and a different look, something
that'll set you apart from the the Day Date wearing crowd.
When you get to your next get together couldn't recommend it more.
Give us a call, see if we've still got it in stock on our website, if you just put in
Patek Philippe in the search bar, you'll see everything we've got in the way of Pateks
right now.
And you can always give us a call, click the bell, like and subscribe.
So you'll get notification of our fresh content here at SwissWatchExpo.