27
SPONSORED ARTICLE
CHRISTIE'S
The Ever-Appealing Nautilus Watch: A 40 year Icon Forty years ago, the Nautilus was born. In today’s world of luxury contemporary watches, the Patek Philippe Nautilus is one of the shining stars, with immense collector appeal The Nautilus was born in 1976 from the talented hands of world-renowned watch designer Gerald Genta. In a career spanning more than 50 years, he designed watches for his own brands as well as world famous watch models still alive today, such as Omega’s Constellation (1959), Patek Philippe’s Golden Ellipse (1968), Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak (1970), IWC’s Ingenieur (1976) and the Cartier Pasha de Cartier (1985). Water resistant to 120 metres, the Nautilus was designed in honour of Captain Nemo’s submersible craft from Jules Verne’s novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The design was based on the porthole shape of a transatlantic liner, with the wide bezels and “ears” on each side evoking the large hinges of the vessel’s watertight windows. The case’s form led Patek Philippe to patent their ingenious new water-resistance system, where the watch becomes more watertight as external pressure on the case increases. The use of stainless steel as the primary metal for most of the production models was also a very daring move at the time. In advertisements the new model was billed as “one of the world’s costliest watches made of steel”, a radical approach that challenged clients to question what constitutes the value of a watch. Another unique aspect of the watch was its size. The model was introduced in a 42mm case and quickly gained the nickname “Jumbo” as it was considered oversized at the time – yet far removed from today’s norms of what an oversized watch would be. Designed with clarity of form and function so breathtakingly bold and deceptively simple, the Nautilus became an enduring success, paving the way for sports watch design as we know it today. Indeed, both the Nautilus and the equally iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, designed in 1970, so intrinsically embody the DNA of their respective manufacturers that today they remain an essential in any vintage watch collector’s portfolio. Patek Philippe’s Nautilus is imbued with practicality, luxury, ruggedness, elegance,
technical know-how and, above all, style. In the words of Patek Philippe “Nautilus will accompany you when you dive to 396 feet. Or when the occasion is formal or festive. Or when you set out to slay dragons in the boardroom. Nautilus and its owner are meant to be inseparable for life”. With subtle updating over the years and a selection of new models added to the range, Nautilus still remains as fresh and contemporary today as it was 40 years ago. From a collector’s point of view, discontinued references are without question the most appealing. Value takes into account the condition of the watch, the level of wear measured on how polished or not the example is, as well as the original accessories, certificate of origin and additional sales tag. The ultimate collector’s hunt often goes towards a specific dial, gem setting configuration or even a double signature –which could range from a specifically made to request Nautilus for a distinguished client or a retailer’s signature, such as Beyer, Güblin or Tiffany & Co.
Christie’s is pleased to celebrate this important milestone in the history of an undisputed legend by offering a selection of 40 examples of the Nautilus in four auctions over four international locations throughout the last quarter of 2016. Dubai – 19th October Important Watches incl Nautilus part I 100% SOLD Geneva – 14th November Rare Watches incl Nautilus part II Hong Kong – 28th November Important Watches incl Nautilus part III New York – 6th December Rare Watches incl Nautilus part IV Christie's Dubai Watch Specialists Team based in DIFC, Dubai, are available should you need assistance or advisory.
Above: Accompanied by its original Nautilus cork box, the Patek Philippe Nautilus model 3700/11 in stainless steel is rarely offered to the public. The production estimate of reference 3700-11 in stainless steel is approximately 1,200 pieces, far fewer than were made of the 3700/1. Sold for $52,500 in Dubai on 19th October 2016. Below: This 18k yellow gold Nautilus ‘KHANJAR’ with the national emblem of the Sultanate of Oman, has never before been offered in public. The present Patek Philippe reference 3700/1 is not only amongst the rarest and most exclusive examples of a gold Nautilus ever offered at auction but is one of the scarcest of all Khanjar watches in existence. This solid gold Nautilus ‘Jumbo’, offered at Christie’s Geneva auction on the 14th of November, is in an excellent state of preservation with original ‘Swiss sigma’ dial exhibiting the first signs of mellow tropicalization found on some early and untouched Nautilus dials.