Gérald Genta

The firm Patek Philippe introduced the Nautilus in 1976 and in doing so created one of the most iconic and classic wristwatches of the late 20th century. It was a new era of luxury and glamour.

Gérald Genta’s design inspired by the portholes of transatlantic ocean liners changed the sports watch forever. Known by the market simply as The ‘Jumbo’ the first Nautilus, reference 3700 made from stainless steel, had a case with a wide flat bezel, integrated link bracelet, and ultra-thin automatic movement. The watch had a tremendously masculine aesthetic compared to other, smaller dressy gold mechanical watches of the time.

The Nautilus was Patek Philippe’s first endeavour into luxury sports watch models and today represents the brands fastest selling and most popular model across an entire selection of sports, complicated and grand complication wristwatches with prices for current production pieces sometimes 10 times that of their suggested retail. A frenzy would occur if a Nautilus appeared in a retailers shop window. There exist waitlist decades long for every model in every retailer all over the world.

The Nautilus is arguably the most collectable and popular watch made by any manufacture anywhere in the world it is coveted by celebrities, personalities, influencers, top watch collectors and one just looking for a very hot watch.

Sotheby’s is thrilled and privileged to offer the blue print for the Nautilus. The protype, the first Nautilus ever conceived and the one hand painted and designed by Gérald Genta, The legend and greatest watch designer in the history of horology. Circa 1976 and presented to Patek Philippe.

The design, rendered on blue paper and hand painted by Gérald Genta offers two side profile options for the case design, an option extremely rare in Gérald Genta’s design.