The word “second generation” has a complicated meaning, like a crown and a shackle. “X Second Generation” often means inheriting the wealth, status, reputation of the previous generation, and carrying all the glorious past. What he has to do is to open an unknown future under the eyes of people’s expectations.
The story of Patek Philippe‘s original Nautilus 3700 has probably been told a hundred or a thousand times. This watch has changed the development trajectory of Patek Philippe and, to some extent, the entire industry.
When the popularity of 3700 gradually subsided, Patek Philippe launched a slimmer 3800 in line with the market, with a diameter reduced from 42mm to 37.5mm, which fits more people’s wrist sizes and has more design choices.
In most cases, the charm of the first generation is definitely higher than that of the second generation, both in terms of feelings and collection value, so today, 3800 is rarely mentioned, but it is undeniable that it is a masterpiece.
3 different 3800
Since the early 1980s, Nautilus has been built on three basic models: the first generation 3700, the second generation 3800 and the quartz movement 4700. The 4700 was launched a year earlier than the 3800, with a diameter of 27mm. Women’s watch.
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the 3800 was born in response to the market, because the trend at that time was still more keen on small-size styles. Compared with the 3700 and 4700, the 3800 has a wider range of metal and disk configurations and rich choices, so pay the bill Naturally more consumers.
Product catalog of October 1982
3700, 3800, 4700
The 3800 first appeared on the Patek Philippe price list in 1982, but the fact is that it was developed in 1981. This delay in sales can be regarded as a routine operation.
Looking back at the entire history, the designers of 3800 have developed more than 20 different styles of dials. You may see a lot of conventional stick-shaped hour markers in various colors, but sun-patterned dials, telephone dials and classical Roman numeral hour markers may be touched. It’s your blind spot, don’t worry, look down.
Rod-shaped hour markers in different colors
The most common and easiest to recognize is the blue bar-shaped hour scale, which will evolve into different shades over time.
The gold shell version of the first generation 3700 is not much produced, only about 1,500. The number of gold discs in this case is more scarce, but in the 3800 disc design, the frequency of gold appearance has become higher.
The blue plate has always been the most popular style, but the gold plate 3800/1J has gradually attracted more and more collectors due to its monochrome appearance and retro aesthetics.