Patek Philippe Gilt Dial 'Boy Size' Nautilus, Retailed by Tiffany & Co., made in 1984

It is now hard to believe that the Nautilus was once quite difficult to sell when they were originally made. Today, all sizes of Nautilus watches are highly desirable and we have seen a recent upsurge in interest in smaller size Nautilus watches. (Thanks to certain celebrities that absolutely love flaunting their vintage finds). Patek Philippe historically made a variety of size options for both men and women within the Nautilus family. 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 as we see here. 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 extremely 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 example is a trophy in the world of smaller Nautilus watches. It features the rare and desirable gilt dial (only one other known) and a Tiffany & Co. signature (the only one known on a gilt dial!).

This extremely well preserved example is ready to wear and makes a large statement for a relatively small watch. Presently sized to fit a 7 inch wrist with removable links to easily make smaller.

SKU:9068

Box, Papers, etc.: Extract from the Archives

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