Patek Philippe Nautilus 'Ladies' Ref. 3900/1A - Blue 'Teak' Dial

The Nautilus. Another Gerald Genta horological icon, sibling to the Royal Oak, and conductor of the Hype Train. Now that we have that out of the way, how did a brand like Patek Philippe get so famous for a steel time-only watch? Well, by accident. The Stern family, which still owns Patek, was constantly being asked back in the late 60s to make a steel sports watch. It turns out that loyal collectors of the brand who would buy their high complication watches and precious metal dress pieces had become so loyal to Patek - that they would only wear wristwatches from the illustrious brand. Not one to disappoint their well-heeled clientele, Gerald Genta was commissioned to design a sports watch worthy of the Patek name. Much like the Royal Oak, the steel case was treated to a wide variety of complex finishing techniques normally reserved for precious metals. While this was a sports piece, it was still to be a Patek Philippe above all else. Unlike the far more rugged Royal Oak, the Nautilus has gentler curves - and certainly no exposed bolts or rivets (can you imagine!).

What we have here is a Reference 3900 — the 'ladies' or 'small' variant based off the first Ref. 3700.

Coming in at 33mm in diameter, these pieces retain all of the exceptional looks, feel, and brand pedigree of the 'Jumbo' sibling, only in a smaller package. In fact, at a glance, the only thing that differentiates it from it larger sibling is the presence of second hand.

This particular example comes to us in excellent overall condition, with a strong case, bezel, and matching integrated bracelet that show normals signs of wear and some sleeve-polish. The dial within is also fantastic. The 'teak' surface is seemingly devoid of any major wear or patina and retains that gorgeous blue gradient color-way. The applied white gold indices are filled with Luminova and are matched by a Luminova handset.

These smaller variants of the Nautilus and similar models are slept on by most people... even by those with wrists larger than 7 inches...  Just check out the wrist shot of our resident timepiece specialist with a 7.5" wrist! 

As the saying goes: "You never actually own a Patek Philippe. You merely look after it for the next generation." This one is ready for it's next lucky caretaker.