Politician Anna Maria Bernini spotted wearing a Patek Philippe

Italian Senator Anna Maria Bernini was recently photographed wearing what is arguably the most historically significant sports watch ever made: the Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 3700/1A, the very first Nautilus ever produced. Its appearance on the wrist of a prominent Italian parliamentarian is a reminder that serious watch collecting knows no professional boundaries.

Introduced at the Basel Fair in 1976, the Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3700/1A was conceived by designer Gerald Genta — the same mind behind the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak — and it represented a radical proposition at the time: a luxury sports watch in stainless steel commanding a price that exceeded fine gold dress pieces. The case measures approximately 42mm lug-to-lug with a distinctive octagonal bezel secured by exposed screws, a design directly inspired by a ship's porthole. The movement inside is the caliber 28-255 C, an ultra-thin automatic with a 44-hour power reserve, visible through the horizontally striped blue-grey dial that remains one of the most imitated aesthetics in watchmaking.

The reference 3700/1A holds a collector status that few watches can match. Produced from 1976 through 1990 across several sub-references, early examples with the original "1A" designation — denoting stainless steel with blue dial — are the most sought after. These early pieces typically feature the distinctive "Sigma" dial markers indicating solid gold applied indices, a detail largely absent from later production. Condition and provenance drive values sharply, with unpolished cases and original bracelets commanding meaningful premiums at auction.

Anna Maria Bernini, a member of Forza Italia and long-serving Italian Senator, is not a figure typically associated with watch collecting circles, which makes the sighting all the more compelling. Wearing what appears to be an original 3700/1A with its characteristic blue dial and integrated bracelet, Bernini demonstrates the quiet confidence of someone who understands exactly what is on her wrist.

On the current grey market, a well-preserved Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 3700/1A trades in the region of €85,000–€100,000 depending on condition, completeness of set, and dial originality. There is no current retail equivalent — Patek discontinued the reference decades ago — making every surviving example a finite commodity that only appreciates in cultural and monetary weight.