261 Patek Philippe Fresh to the Market, Extremely Rare and Astonishing, Nautilus “Jumbo”, Automatic Wristwatch in White Gold, With White Khanjar Logo, Made for the Sultanate of Oman, Property of the John Goldberger Collection, Reference 3700

Estimate: €800,000 –⁠ 1,600,000

Model: Nautilus
Reference: 3700
Case Material: White Gold
Bracelet Material: White Gold
Year: 1978
Movement: Automatic
Caliber: 28-255C
Case N°: 540633
Movement N°: 1306565
Dimensions: 42 mm
Signed: Dial, Case and Movement
Accessories: Extract from the Archives

The Patek Philippe reference 3700 here offered takes a very prestigious position as being one of the rarest, most exclusive, and certainly the one of the most coveted examples of Nautilus ever offered at auction. Fresh to the market, the present lot not only is a highly important new discovery of Nautilus in white gold but is part of a very limited series of specimens made under special order for the royal household of the Sultanate of Oman as testified by the white Khanjar logo at 6 o’clock. This “Khanjar” watch was for sure commissioned to the retailer Asprey of New Bond Street in London since no official watch agents were available in Oman, making it necessary to go directly abroad to obtain such a precious piece. Until the appearance of the present watch, only one example in white gold have appeared to the market: the first bearing case no. 540 643 and movement no. 1 306 579 were sold by Phillips, Geneva, on 15 May 2016, lot 172. Exceedingly rare, the present watch is one of only 12 known reference 3700s cased in white gold. Moreover, only two known examples feature this dial configuration has appeared at auction since the model’s original launch in 1976. The latter one is precisely 10 numbers away for the case and 14 for movement from the lot offered today, which has case no. 540 633 and movement no. 1 306 565. Both these watches were manufactured in 1978 and subsequently sold on 14 January 1980 as confirmed by the extract from the archives, as a testimony that was part of a special order for His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said. It is interesting to notice that all four of these exceptional Nautilus watches have serial numbers within close proximity of each other. This particular example is preserved in very notable conditions, with limited signs of wear, sharp bevels, angles and curves are perfectly preserved. The dial is surely original, with luminous baton hour markers. The present lot’s historical significance, royal provenance and rarity make it one of the most exciting and important Patek Philippe Nautilus watches, a must-have for both the Nautilus collector and the collector of Omani designated watches. Furthermore, the watch was former property of the John Goldberger Collection.