All Patek Philippe
Patek Philippe Nautilus 38 mm Slate Sapphire
Patek Philippe Nautilus 38 mm Slate Sapphire — Front view

Front view

Dial, hands and bezel as delivered.

Patek Philippe Nautilus 38 mm Slate Sapphire — Case-back view

Case-back view

Case-back engraving and, where fitted, the sapphire display.

Patek Philippe Nautilus 38 mm Slate Sapphire — Movement

Movement

Calibre with its finishing and decoration.

On the wrist

On the wrist

Worn shot for proportion and strap drape.

Patek Philippe · Nautilus

Patek Philippe Nautilus 38 mm Slate Sapphire

Reference 95664OR.54

Reference at a glance

Brand
Patek Philippe
Collection
Nautilus
Model
Patek Philippe Nautilus 38 mm Slate Sapphire
Reference number
95664OR.54
Year / era
1964 · 1960s — pre-quartz mechanical era
Complication
Tourbillon
Movement
In-house automatic micro-rotor
Case material
Sapphire crystal case
Dial type
Slate grey
Strap / bracelet
Integrated steel bracelet
Water resistance
100 m
Limited-edition status
Regular production, not a limited edition
Compare this reference

Case, dial & bracelet

Case dimensions
38 mm
Case thickness
8.1 mm
Case material
Sapphire crystal case
Bezel
Octagonal with 8 hexagonal screws
Crystal
Sapphire with internal AR treatment
Dial
Slate grey
Hands
Rhodium-plated baton hands with luminous fill
Indexes
Applied Roman numerals
Bracelet / strap
Integrated steel bracelet
Clasp / buckle
Folding clasp in matching case metal
Water resistance
100 m

Movement

Movement / calibre
Calibre 43D — In-house automatic micro-rotor
Movement type
Automatic with micro-rotor
Frequency
25,200 vph (3.5 Hz)
Power reserve
38 hours
Number of jewels
45 jewels
Complications
Tourbillon
Functions
Dive time, running seconds
Watchmaker
Finishing, assembly and timing are carried out in the manufacture's own atelier.

Production & market

Production period
1964 – 1968
Limited-edition quantity
Not applicable
Current market information
Thin secondary-market supply — pricing is set piece by piece at auction.

Designer

Gérald Genta

Gérald Genta (1931–2011) trained as a goldsmith in Geneva and became the most influential watch designer of the 20th century. Working freelance, he sketched the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak overnight in 1970, followed by the Patek Philippe Nautilus, the IWC Ingenieur SL and the Bulgari Bulgari — defining the integrated-bracelet luxury sports watch as a category.

Historical significance

Patek Philippe Nautilus 38 mm Slate Sapphire sits within Patek Philippe's Nautilus line, introduced in 1964. It carries the house codes established since 1839 — sapphire crystal case case, slate grey dial and in-house automatic micro-rotor — and is one of the references collectors use to date the evolution of the collection.

Interesting facts

  • The movement's bridges are decorated even where they will never be seen once the watch is cased.
  • Early production dials show a slightly different minute track, and collectors pay a premium for them.
PA

The House

Patek Philippe

Brand facts

Founding year
1839
Founder
Antoine Norbert de Patek & Adrien Philippe
Headquarters
Switzerland
Tier
Ultra-Luxury & Haute Horlogerie
Major collections
Nautilus, Aquanaut, Calatrava, Complications, Grand Complications, Golden Ellipse, Gondolo, Twenty~4, Cubitus
Signature technologies
Composite and ceramic case materials · Hand-applied guilloché dials
Famous movements
In-house tourbillon, manual-winding · In-house automatic with 22k gold rotor · In-house manual-winding, hand-finished · In-house automatic micro-rotor
Notable watches
Patek Philippe Nautilus 38 mm Slate Quartz (1999) · Patek Philippe Nautilus 41 mm Blue Carbon (1995) · Patek Philippe Nautilus 38 mm Slate Sapphire (1964) · Patek Philippe Nautilus 36 mm Meteorite Grade (1986)

Brand history

Patek Philippe has spent more than 187 years refining a single idea: a watch should outlive its owner. From the earliest workshop pieces to today's Nautilus, the house has balanced technical ambition with a recognisable design language, and its collections remain among the most closely followed by collectors worldwide.

Antoine Norbert de Patek & Adrien Philippe established Patek Philippe in 1839, working from Switzerland at a time when precision was measured by hand. The founder's obsession with finishing and accuracy still defines every Patek Philippe calibre produced today.

Historical milestones

  1. 1839

    Antoine Norbert de Patek & Adrien Philippe founds Patek Philippe in Switzerland.

  2. 1879

    Patek Philippe earns its first international recognition for precision timekeeping.

  3. 1969

    The quartz era forces Patek Philippe to redefine mechanical watchmaking.

  4. 1990

    Patek Philippe enters the modern collector market with its signature lines.

  5. 2024

    Patek Philippe continues to produce Nautilus, Aquanaut, Calatrava and other icons in limited numbers.

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