PATEK PHILIPPE STEEL AND GOLD NAUTILUS REF. 3900/1JA

The original steel and gold Nautilus is now considered an icon of the 1970s – 1990s. With its instantly recognizable, boldly designed case and bracelet, together with its black matte ribbed dial, this unique design is nothing short of wearable art. It is hard to believe that they were once quite difficult to sell when they were originally made because they were considered too oversized for the era. Patek Philippe addressed this size issue by offering a variety of options for both men and women. For men, there was the jumbo ref. 3700 and later the mid-sized ref. 3800. For the ladies, the smaller ref. 4700 was offered with a variety of jeweled options. And then there was the rare enigma of the ref. 3900. Made with a men’s reference number (starting with the number 3) and combined with a quartz movement, the ref. 3900 was quickly nicknamed the ‘Boy Size’ Nautilus. Made in small numbers, the ref. 3900 is now attracting the attention of both men and women as collectors look to complete collection verticals with this difficult to find reference. This well preserved example is ready to wear and makes a large statement for a relatively small watch.

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