On June 14, Chiswick Auctions will hold a watch-specific sale that will be headlined by a rare and collectible Patek Philippe timepiece.
The stainless steel Nautilus ref. 3800 with a white-gold and diamond-set Sigma dial has a pre-sale estimate of £45,000-55,000, but is almost sure to go a lot higher.
From 1971 to 1995, the Association pour la Promotion Industrielle de l’Or the (APRIOR) logo – often referred to as ‘Sigma,’ after the Greek letter – had to be marked on the dial of any timepieces manufactured in Switzerland with gold applied markings – including the batons and numerals – or dial plates.
The APRIOR mark is seen on Patek Philippe timepieces on either side of the ‘SWISS’ under the 6 o’clock baton. Many watches have the right to show the APRIOR mark even when just the batons or numerals are made of gold.
The 37.5mm Nautilus ref. 3800 was created in the early 1980s, when Swiss designer Gérald Genta (1931-2011) introduced it as a more compact version of the iconic Nautilus ref. 3700 Jumbo.
The case and bracelet of the Chiswick Auctions model are in stainless-steel and the midnight blue dial is set with 11 diamond idexes and features white-gold stick hands with luminous inserts and a date aperture at 3 o’clock.
Powered by a self-winding Calibre 335 SC, this stainless-steel Sigma version is a rare specimen and one of only around 15 that have been offered for sale.
The watch was made in 1994 (sold in 1995) and comes to sale accompanied by paperwork, spare bracelet links, and a recent service document from Patek Philippe London.
