Patek Philippe

whit
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I'll take a stab at this.

Why so expensive?  It did not have anywhere close to the popularity as the Nautilus does today.  It was expensive ($3750.00) in its day when Rolex ruled the world of sport watches (a steel sub was $700-800).  Didn't have a centered sweep seconds and the design was a little on the edge for the times.

When were they made?  When I became a dealer in 1981, it had been around a few years (1977?), production stopped with the introduction of the 3800 in 1985.

How many made? Could not have been many, I don't know if the actual quantity was ever published, I never heard a number.  I don't think it was a big seller, be aware that their production levels were in the 8-10,000 range and Patek was not known for their sport watches but for their dress watches instead.

Since the 3700 and the 3800, there are so many variants of the Nautilus and I would still expect more to come as its design seems to be the "in" thing.

Because it was the first  Nautilus makes these quite the collectible item.