Royal Mohammed Reza Pahlavi spotted wearing a Patek Philippe

Among the most storied wrists in modern history, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi — Shah of Iran, self-styled 'King of Kings' and sovereign of one of the world's great oil fortunes — was photographed wearing the Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3700 in stainless steel with its signature dark blue horizontally embossed dial. The sighting places one of horology's foundational references on a wrist that had access to virtually any timepiece ever made.

Patek Philippe introduced the Nautilus reference 3700 in 1976, commissioning Gerald Genta — the same designer behind the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak — to produce a luxury sports watch in stainless steel at a price point deliberately higher than many gold watches of the era. The move was audacious. Powered by the calibre 28-255 C, a thin automatic movement with a 40-hour power reserve, the ref. 3700 measured 42mm lug-to-lug with a 37.5mm case, its integrated bracelet and porthole-style case forming an instantly recognizable silhouette. The dark blue 'Clous de Paris' textured dial, framed by the characteristic horizontally grooved bezel, remains one of the most imitated designs in watchmaking history.

The ref. 3700 was produced in several dial variants and case metals between 1976 and approximately 1990, but the stainless steel dark blue dial example is the definitive collector's version — the purest expression of Genta's original vision. Early references feature subtle variations in dial texture, hands, and bracelet finishing that drive serious collector premiums. These watches launched a genre and a vocabulary that the entire industry still speaks today.

Mohammed Reza Pahlavi reigned until the 1979 Islamic Revolution, living in exile thereafter until his death in Cairo in 1980. His personal taste in watches was well documented — a man of imperial pretension who nonetheless reached for a steel sports watch. The choice of the Nautilus 3700 over a grand complication in precious metal suggests genuine horological discernment rather than mere status signaling.

On today's grey market, a Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3700 in stainless steel with dark blue dial commands approximately $125,000, reflecting decades of appreciation driven by scarcity, historical significance, and the model's foundational role in the luxury sports watch category. Retail pricing is no longer applicable, as the reference was discontinued long ago. Provenance tied to a figure of the Shah's historical profile would, in any auction context, push values considerably higher.