Discussion on a Patek 3700/1a watch with a minor crystal edge gap. Owner seeks advice. Videos included for inspection. | Patek Philippe

Patek 3700 Crystal - Bezel gap question

Hi watchprosite Patek friends.

I just picked up a 3700/1a (1977). It's obviously been polished but to my eye it's acceptable and the last polishing job was decent. I'm generally quite happy!

I do have a question about the crystal. It looks like there's ever so slightly a gap / asymmetry on one of the corners (upper right). It's extremely minor though and you can only see it from certain angles. As far as I can tell the crystal wasn't chipped.

Is this something people have seen before? Should the border between the crystal and the bezel be absolutely perfect or is some variation expected?

I uploaded some videos to youtube because it's slightly easier to see under movement:

https://youtube.com/shorts/O-IdFIiJXs4

https://youtube.com/shorts/T0conbbRDiA

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By: Quinto : May 24th, 2026-01:13

I get the impression that the bezel was disassembled and repaired in that area due to some kind of impact, either by simply re-scratching the scratch or by filling it with a laser and then scratching it and giving it the finish; it's not normal for those ...

By: Jonathantompson : May 24th, 2026-02:40

Thanks for your reply! Are you commenting on the dark spots in the brushing? Or on the inside of the bezel where the crystal and bezel touch? Curious to know if you clicked the video link. It’s a little more obvious there.

By: Quinto : May 24th, 2026-21:41

Hi Jonathan, yes, I watched both videos and I noticed a darker inner edge, which gives the impression of being slightly recessed, casting a shadow. It's difficult to appreciate the details in photos or videos, but that's the general impression I get. If y...

First, congratulations on this acquisition!

By: quattro : May 24th, 2026-05:29

I've checked your videos and, yes, a little gap can be seen which, as far as I know, shouldn't be there. But this watch is almost 50 years old and the crystal might have been replaced. The question would be by whom and where did the new crystal come from....

The 3700 is a lovely watch. However, I don't know the reason for the gap, but it certainly seems like some kind of unfair force has been applied. It's not good for your mental health, so I think it would be best to take it to PP.

By: anaroku : May 25th, 2026-10:41

By: Jonathantompson : May 26th, 2026-23:51

Thanks everyone for the replies! I've been obsessively staring at this "gap" for a few days now and after fishing out my 15x loop (my eyes aren't what they used to be!) I'm actually not convinced anymore there's a gap at the crystal bezel interface. The c...