Lot Essay
Owned by the Earl of Snowdon for almost a decade, this highly appealing and much prized reference 3711/1G represents an increasingly rare opportunity for enthusiasts to obtain such a complete and nicely preserved example of the white gold Nautilus, one of the scarcest and most difficult of the Nautilus timepieces to find.
To the best of our knowledge, the present watch is one of only around ten examples of this exceedingly rare Nautilus in white gold to appear at international auction to date.
Introduced in 2004, the reference 3711/1A was only produced for three years, being discontinued in 2007. With its impressive size, it is one of the largest "time only" models ever made by Patek Philippe. Very similar to the reference 3700, possibly the most recognizable wristwatch made by Patek Philippe, the present timepiece carries perfectly the classic proportions of the original “Jumbo” Nautilus, whilst a subtle update resulted in a greater depth to its case. The movement is the caliber 315 SC, which features a sweep centre seconds function and date function.
The Earl of Snowdon
David Snowdon was appointed Chairman of Christie’s UK in December 2006 and was promoted to Hon. Chairman for Christie’s in Europe, the Middle East, Russia and India in June 2015.
He has achieved international renown for his company, LINLEY, which provides luxury interior design, furniture and accessories of the highest quality. David established the business in 1985 focusing on the production of bespoke furniture for individual commissions. Appropriately, the launch of his business took place at Christie’s King Street 30 years ago.
David has written numerous books and lectured around the world at venues including the V Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, the LA County Museum of Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and many other leading American institutions.
In 2018, he was appointed Vice President of The Prince’s Foundation, an organisation created to support people to make the most of their community. Through teaching traditional arts and skills, building sustainable housing or regenerating neighbourhoods, the Foundation supports families and individuals throughout the United Kingdom.
To the best of our knowledge, the present watch is one of only around ten examples of this exceedingly rare Nautilus in white gold to appear at international auction to date.
Introduced in 2004, the reference 3711/1A was only produced for three years, being discontinued in 2007. With its impressive size, it is one of the largest "time only" models ever made by Patek Philippe. Very similar to the reference 3700, possibly the most recognizable wristwatch made by Patek Philippe, the present timepiece carries perfectly the classic proportions of the original “Jumbo” Nautilus, whilst a subtle update resulted in a greater depth to its case. The movement is the caliber 315 SC, which features a sweep centre seconds function and date function.
The Earl of Snowdon
David Snowdon was appointed Chairman of Christie’s UK in December 2006 and was promoted to Hon. Chairman for Christie’s in Europe, the Middle East, Russia and India in June 2015.
He has achieved international renown for his company, LINLEY, which provides luxury interior design, furniture and accessories of the highest quality. David established the business in 1985 focusing on the production of bespoke furniture for individual commissions. Appropriately, the launch of his business took place at Christie’s King Street 30 years ago.
David has written numerous books and lectured around the world at venues including the V Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, the LA County Museum of Art, the Dallas Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and many other leading American institutions.
In 2018, he was appointed Vice President of The Prince’s Foundation, an organisation created to support people to make the most of their community. Through teaching traditional arts and skills, building sustainable housing or regenerating neighbourhoods, the Foundation supports families and individuals throughout the United Kingdom.