Lot 132

Patek Philippe

Nautilus Jumbo Gübelin

An ultra-rare, legendary, double-signed vintage Geneva wristwatch with date and rare sigma dial - sold by Gübelin jewellers Zurich, Switzerland. The watch comes with an original Patek Philippe box and a Patek Philippe extract from the archives, which confirmes that the watch was sold on December 17, 1985. The watch was serviced by Steven Hale (SHWR) in London in March 2020 and is still shrink-wrapped in its original Patek Philippe service foil.

Nautilus references 3700 with a double signature on the dial are very rare. Besides the coveted "tropical dials" they are another sought-after variant and more collectible than those models with only one signature.
Since the early days of the company, the timepieces created by the Patek Philippe brand have been sold by the most exclusive retailers and jewellers worldwide, who proudly signed their names on the dials of the watches. The trend to use double signatures on watches started with the cooperation with the famous jeweller Tiffany & Co. in New York who sold their first Patek Philippe watch in 1851. The partnership between the jeweller Gübelin and the maker Patek Philippe exists since 1854. This way both companies are closely connected to a range of watches with a high collectible value, so that on occasion of the 150 year anniversary in 2004 a wristwatch reference 5134 featuring a second time zone was launched in a limited edition.
This double-signed Nautilus Jumbo, reference 3700/011 in an 18 K gold case has the much sought-after Gübelin signature in the bottom half of the dial. The tritium luminous material of the indexes has darkened sightly. The textured dial is jet black and is inscribed with the "O SWISS O" designation below 6 o’clock. The alternating matte and polished areas on case and bracelet are very attractive.
This Nautilus, reference 3700/011 with double-signature comes from a private collection and was always very carefully looked after. This is the first time this piece is presented at an auction. Utmost care was applied during a recent service to ensure that the originality of the watch was preserved.

The sophisticated "porthole" design by Gerald Genta ensures that the Nautilus remains one of the most remarkable and sought-after models of the Patek Philippe range today. The watch was created in 1976 and its rather chunky shape - inspired by the shape of a porthole of a transatlantic liner – certainly stood out from the other, rather more conservative designs of the Patek Philippe brand. The distinctive "Jumbo" case has a wide, flat bezel and an integrated link bracelet. The dial has a clear bar structure that is dynamically repeated in the design of the applied indices and baton hands. The Nautilus was not an immediate sales success but its popularity grew rapidly and soon the Nautilus stood for sophistication, vitality and character. While the steel model comes across as restrained and matter-of-fact, the gold version such as this is the perfect accessory for connoisseurs of fine watches who appreciate top quality materials and luxurious sophistication.