Emblems: The Entire History of the Patek Philippe Nautilus
By:Matthew Lopez | Posted: February 21, 2022
Editor’s Note:
Today, we are introducing a brand new series on the Vintage Grail website called the Emblems. This concept talks about a complete guide on a particular model of an emblematic watch that evolved into being cult classics in their own right. To kick off our first series, we will be talking about the most-talked-about timepiece at the moment, the Patek Philippe Nautilus, and dig deep into the various references of the influential yet polarizing timepiece.
The year 2021 can be summed up in the name of one particular watch, the Patek Philippe Nautilus. For decades, the watch most treasured first by watch enthusiasts, later becoming mainstream having been sported by celebrities, has truly skyrocketed into the most-coveted timepiece the world around. We previously discussed in detail the brief history of the Patek Philippe Nautilus on how the watch came into being. Since its publication, there have been several developments in the story of the Nautilus, including the release of the final iteration of the Ref. 5711 featuring a Tiffany blue colored dial with an example that sold for a world record price of US$6.504 million at a Phillips New York auction held last December 2021 and the subsequent discontinuation of its more luxurious brother, the Ref. 5711/1R cased in rose gold. Today, we take a closer look at the various iterations of the Patek Philippe Nautilus that have been released throughout its forty-six-year-long journey and what lies in the future of the modern emblem.
Reference 3700/1A: The Original “Jumbo” (1976-1990)
The original Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 3700 better known as the “Jumbo” was introduced to the public in 1976 featuring a stainless steel case and integrated bracelet and was presented in a cork-made warranty box. (© Christie’s)
The Nautilus was the brainchild of Swiss watch designer and artist Gérald Genta (1931-2011), who began his career by doing design commissions for various watch brands to sustain his education. Tapped by Patek Philippe executive and later its president Philippe Stern, he conceptualized a watch in stainless steel that would be at par with his other notable creation, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. Putting pen to paper, Genta sketched the watch seeing the porthole-like windows copied from luxury ocean liners of the early 20th century.
Conceptualized by the pioneering Swiss watch designer Gérald Genta (right), the Nautilus was patterned after the porthole-like windows featured on luxury ocean liners as seen on this original sketch from the archives (left). (© Sotheby’s/© Gérald Genta Heritage )
Launched at the 1976 Baselworld fair, the very first Patek Philippe Nautilus introduced was the Ref. 3700/1A that featured a stainless steel case resembling the “porthole” of ships with distinctive “ears” on each side mirroring door hinges. For the dial, Patek commissioned dial makers Stern Frères to produce a sunburst blue dial textured with its signature horizontal lines matched with its signature integrated stainless steel bracelet. The watch had a date function on the three o’clock position that was encased in a large 42mm stainless steel case produced by Favre-Perret, thus enthusiasts termed the timepiece as the “Jumbo.” Powered by a slim caliber 28-255C movement produced by Jaeger-LeCoultre, it was the thinnest wristwatch ever produced by the brand. Two versions of its signature integrated bracelet are known to exist featuring a larger width (Ref. 3700/01A) and one with a narrower width (Ref. 3700/11A).
The Ref. 3700 better known as the “Jumbo” was introduced into five distinct varieties: stainless steel (upper left), yellow gold (upper right), two-tone of stainless steel and yellow gold (bottom left); white gold (not pictured) and platinum (bottom right). (© Christie’s)
The reference was encased in numerous precious metals including stainless steel, yellow gold, white gold, platinum, and a two-tone combination of steel and gold respectively. Similarly, several dial varieties were produced throughout its run including a diamond-set dial, a special white “Albino” dial, and limited quantities of double-signed timepieces produced for its retailers and Middle Eastern royalty namely for the Sultanate of Oman with its distinctive Khanjar dial. The Ref. 3700/01A remained to be in production for 14 years until it was discontinued in 1990. In the past few years, two prototypes of the Ref. 3700 have sold for record prices at auction namely the “Albino” version with a special dial by Stern Frères that sold at Sotheby’s in 2015 for CHF250,000 (US$240,000), a piece unique made in platinum that was sold at Christie’s for CHF783,750 (US$838,612.50) in 2013 and a very special platinum watch with a pavé diamond-set dial and bezel sold at Christie’s for CHF845,000 (US$904,150) in 2015.
Reference 3800: The Forgotten Model (1981-2006)
In comparison to its larger counterpart the Ref. 3700, it is often forgotten that the original Nautilus was still quite a large timepiece sized at 42mm. To broaden the appeal of the watch to a younger and newly affluent generation, the brand introduced a mid-sized reference in 1981, the Ref. 3800 with a diameter size of 37.5mm. The watch came in at least twenty known varieties of dial configurations during its production run that last over twenty-six years with differing typography including the usage of baton markers (dark blue and white), Arabic numerals (charcoal grey), and even Roman numerals (black) introduced in 1996. Other prototype dials were made for the watch including a radial dial and a telephone dial that was made in very limited quantities.
The Ref. 3800 came in a variety of configurations during its long production of almost twenty-six years that included: dials in featuring baton markers, Arabic numerals, and Roman numerals (top) and came in an array of precious metals including stainless steel, a two-tone combination of stainless steel and yellow gold and yellow gold amongst others (bottom). (© Christie’s, © A Collected Man & © Sotheby’s)
This reference was first powered by the caliber 335SC, an in-house automatic movement made by the brand to veer away from the earlier LeCoultre movements that are utilized for the Jumbo and be ahead of its competition. By 1992, the brand later switched to a more robust movement for the watch with the introduction of the caliber 330SC that was subsequently certified with the Poinçon de Genève (Geneva Seal) considered as the highest accolades given in precision timekeeping. The reference was encased in the same configurations as its larger counterpart, including stainless steel, yellow gold, white gold, a two-tone combination of steel and yellow gold, platinum, and rose gold of which only ten pieces are known to exist today.
Double-signed dials for this reference have since surfaced featuring the known retailers of the brand, but the rarest are those that were sold to its British retailer, Asprey of London. Due to its long production, one can start to collect this reference at a bargain or auction. There have been some special versions of the Ref. 3800 that has hit the auction block, including a yellow gold watch set with a pavé diamond-set dial that was previously owned by Jiro Yanagawa, the former boss of the infamous Japanese yakuza group that sold at Antiquorum in 2015 for HKD750,000 (US$96,750); a piece unique platinum watch with a radial dial from 1999 that sold at Phillips in 2018 for CHF212,500 (US$211,352.50); and a white gold watch set with a pavé-diamond and gem set dial from 1987 that sold at Phillips in 2020 for CHF287,500 (US$303,341.25).
Reference 5060S: The Precursor of the Aquanaut (1996-1997)
The Ref. 5060S was the first Nautilus to feature lugs and without its crown guards on its 3 o’clock position and only came in a yellow gold configuration with a leather strap. (© Patek Philippe)
As Patek Philippe was making significant headway with the introduction of the mid-size Ref. 3800, the brand altered the design language of the Nautilus by introducing a radical change to its dial as the watch entered its 20th year in production in 1996. It forgoes the baton markers as originally designed by Genta and opted for a controversial choice of Roman numerals set on a plain matte black dial. Two references were introduced: another version of the Ref. 3800 as we discussed earlier and a smaller 35mm, the Ref. 5060S, the first Nautilus to feature lugs and without its crown guards on its 3 o’clock position. The reference 5060S came out only in a configuration of yellow gold. Though collectors consider this reference as the precursor of the Aquanaut that will be introduced in 1997, it is important to note that the brand was testing out a new concept by selling the model with a leather strap instead of its usual integrated bracelet.
Reference 3710: The First Nautilus with Complications (1998-2006)
The Ref. 3710 known as the Nautilus Power Reserve was the first model within the collection to feature complications particularly a winding zone indicator below the 12 o’clock position while being encased in the larger 42mm stainless steel case. (© Christie’s)
By the late 1990s, Patek Philippe continued with their experimentations on the Nautilus collection with the Ref. 3800 being its premier product. That all changed when the brand introduced the Ref. 3710 better known as the Nautilus Power Reserve in 1998, that featured a winding zone indicator below the 12 o’clock position that was encased in the larger “Jumbo” 42mm stainless steel case that was widely enjoyed by Patek enthusiasts. Set with white gold Roman numerals as hour markers on a plain matte black dial, the watch cemented the place of the Nautilus as an experimental platform for innovation of the brand whether in terms of design or in this case complications. The Nautilus Power Reserve came only in a stainless steel version and was powered by the caliber 330SC, an automatic movement sporting a power reserve in between 38 to 48 hours. The watch remained in production for the next eight years until its subsequent discontinuation in 2006. There exists a piece unique Ref. 3710 called the “Lucky Thirteen” with an unusual dial configuration where the number 8 (VIII) is replaced with the number 13 (XIII). This special ordered dial was ordered by its owner and crafted by Stern Creations from the brand and sold in 2004. The timepiece was subsequently sold at Phillips for a record CHF254,600 (US$253,250.62) in 2015.
Reference 3711 and Reference 3712: The Transition for the Modern Nautilus (2004 & 2005)
Patek Philippe began conceptualizing its template for the modern Nautilus collection by introducing two transitional models incorporating its design; the time-only Ref. 3711 encased in white gold in 2004 (left) and the Ref. 3712 with its complications including a power-reserve indicator, moon phase, and a sub-seconds dial in 2005. (© A Collected Man)
In 2004, leadership changes were set in motion at Patek Philippe with the elder Philippe Stern, then the president of the brand slowly handed the reins of the company to his deputy and his son, the vice-president Thierry Stern. Under its new leadership, Stern began a return to classicism in the various collections of the brand by reinterpreting previous watch designs in its archive. In doing so, plans were set for the revamp of the entire Nautilus collection. In two years, the brand released two special references that would serve as the prototypes for the modern Patek Philippe Nautilus collection namely the time-only Nautilus Ref. 3711 and the Nautilus Moon Phase Ref. 3712 with its various complications including a moon phase.
Made respectively in 2004 and 2005, the two references answered the call by many watch enthusiasts for the return of the beloved “Jumbo” sized 42mm case since its discontinuation in 1990. The first transitional model was the time-only Ref. 3711 that came in white gold and was powered with the caliber 315 SC, an automatic movement with a Poinçon de Genève (Geneva Seal) certification and set with a dark black dial with the familiar horizontal grooves. The second model was the Ref. 3712 which featured a multitude of complications including a moon phase, a sub-seconds dial, and a three-dot power reserve while powered by the caliber 240, the same automatic movement found on the brand’s Calatrava dress watch collections, while set with a gradient blue dial that was limited to only 500 pieces.
Reference 5711: The Modern Grail (2006-2021)
The Ref. 5711 or the modern Nautilus remains to be the envy of watch enthusiasts the world over since its introduction back in 2006 and has become the premier collectible sports watch of the modern era. (© Vintage Grail)
In 2006, Patek Philippe launched the Ref. 5711 at Baselworld 2006 to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the Nautilus model. The Nautilus Ref. 5711 watch sported a much rounder shape with a more refined case design with a transparent sapphire case back and powered by the caliber 324 SC, an in-house automatic movement that included a four-spore Gyromax balance wheel with its slotted weight stem and a Spiromax balance-spring that made the oscillations of the watch at a frequency of 28,000 vibrations per hour. The model has been encased in several precious metals including stainless steel, yellow gold, rose gold, white gold, and platinum that was only available on request for its premium clientele and later introduced for its special editions to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Nautilus in 2016. In comparison to its predecessors, the model came in numerous color varieties that ranged from blue, white, brown, electric blue, green, and lastly in Tiffany blue which served as its final execution. Double-signed dials for this reference have since surfaced featuring the known retailers of the brand notably by the American retailer, Tiffany & Co. that has since brought a significant premium on the secondary market.
Throughout its run, the Ref. 5711 had the most number of dial varieties that ranged from traditional color schemes of blue to brown (top) to more vibrant pantones from electric blue to Tiffany blue (bottom) during its production of the past fifteen years.
(© Christie’s, © Patek Philippe & © Vintage Grail)
Due to the popularity of the model particularly of its stainless steel version, Patek Philippe tried to increase its watch prices but ultimately failed in dampening the high demand for the reference. It is said that the waitlist alone on this model at an authorized dealer could take up to seven years, with the watch popping on the secondary market reaching double or triple their premiums. After being in production during the past fifteen years, the brand discontinued the stainless steel version and eventually its entire model lineup.
Despite its recent discontinuation, the insatiable demand for the timepiece remains with record prices being reached for the model on the auction block. In July 2021, a double-sealed example of the Ref. 5711 with the green dial configuration sold for a record EUR416,000 (US$490.630.40) at an Antiquorum auction. That record was subsequently broken within the same year when the first production model of the last execution of the Ref. 5711 that was double-signed with the American retailer with its matching Tiffany blue dial sold for a world record price of US$6.504 million at a Phillips auction in December 2021.
Reference 5712: The Nautilus Moon Phase (2006-present)
The Ref. 5712 known as the Nautilus Moon Phase has remained part of the modern collection having been executed in several configurations including stainless steel (upper left), rose gold (upper right), white gold (bottom left), and a two-tone variety of steel and rose gold (bottom right).
(© Christie’s, © Patek Philippe & © Vintage Grail)
In the same fashion as with the notable Ref. 5711, Patek Philippe released a new collection in 2006 centered on the previous Ref. 3712. Like the transitional model, the Ref. 5712 of complications included a moon phase, a sub-seconds dial, and a three-dot power reserve powered by the same caliber 240. The model comes in two varieties: first with the traditional integrated bracelet set only in stainless steel and second with a leather bracelet, a first for the brand for its version in rose gold, white gold, and in a two-tone configuration. In 2007, the brand released a special edition of the Ref. 3712, known as the Ref. 5712T set in titanium that was offered for the OnlyWatch Auction, the biennial charity event that subsequently sold for EUR525,000 (US$735,000) then hosted by Antiquroum.
Reference 5980: The First Nautilus Chronograph (2006-present)
The Nautilus Chronograph (Ref. 5980) was the first foray of introducing an automatic chronograph into the collection. The brand executed several configurations including stainless steel set with blue, black, and silvery-white dials (top) and its more luxurious offerings in rose gold with its integrated bracelet or leather bracelet option and a two-tone configuration in stainless steel and rose gold.
(© Christie’s/© Sotheby’s)
Though complications were not new in the previous models of the Patek Philippe Nautilus, these were all focused as display indicators to improve the overall precision of the timepiece. That all was altered in 2006 when the brand introduced the Ref. 5980, the very first automatic chronograph within the collection thereby changing our concept of the sports watch. The watch comes in a case profile of 40.2mm, making it much thicker to fit the caliber 28-520 C, an in-house automatic chronograph movement with a 60-minute and 12-hour mono-counter running on a power reserve of 45 and 55 hours. Several configurations have been produced for the model since its launch after being set in stainless steel, rose gold, a two-tone configuration (stainless steel and rose gold), and in white gold that was limited to the 40th-anniversary collection issued in 2016.
Reference 5800: The Mid-Size Oddity (2006-2009)
In comparison with its predecessor, the Ref. 5800 offered a mid-size alternative to the larger Nautilus Ref. 5711 did not materialize with much success leading to its discontinuation three years after.
(© Patek Philippe)
With much focus made on the three main references (the time-only Ref. 5711, the chronograph Ref. 5980, and the moon phase Ref. 5712) since their launch in 2006, it is often forgotten that a fourth reference was also released to be the modern successor of the widely successful Ref. 3800. The Ref. 5800 informally called the “mid-sized Nautilus” had the same design aesthetics and case profile as its larger Ref. 5711 albeit a reduced size of 38.5mm and set with a gradient blue dial. As with the Ref. 3800, the model was powered by the caliber 330SC movement that was certified with the Poinçon de Genève (Geneva Seal) and only introduced in stainless steel. The model did not catch on with watch enthusiasts with their preference towards the larger Ref. 5711 leading to its eventual discontinuation from the collection in 2009.
Reference 5726: The Annual Calendar (2010-present)
The Nautilus Annual Calendar (Ref. 5726) helped evolve from being a sports watch into a more refined timepiece. Issued only in stainless steel, the model first came in a leather bracelet with a black dial (upper left) and later fitted on an integrated bracelet with dial options in black (upper right), silvery-white (bottom left), and blue (bottom right).
(© Patek Philippe/© Antiquorum)
With success reached with its more complicated models within the collection, Patek Philippe pursued fervently through this track with its introduction of the Nautilus Annual Calendar (Ref. 5726) in 2010. A hybrid combination of the day-date complication and the moon phase, the Ref. 5726 has become a hidden gem within the collection that does not grab attention in comparison to its much-prized counterparts being more conservative in its design with a slightly larger case profile of 40.5mm. Upon its release, the first model came only in stainless steel with a leather bracelet that was set with a gradient black dial and powered by the caliber 324 S QA LU 24H/303, an automatic movement that is mainly featured on other dress watch models in the Complications collection. The model was later fitted with a fully integrated stainless steel bracelet set with dial options in black, silvery-white, and blue.
Reference 5990: The Travel-Time Chronograph (2014-present)
Presented as its take on the travel watch, the Nautilus Travel-Time Chronograph (Ref. 5990) is the brand’s latest evolution of its chronograph lineup through the usage of a flyback mechanism. To date, two executions of Ref. 5990 have been released: a stainless steel version with a black dial (left) and a rose gold with a sunburst blue dial (right). (© Patek Philippe)
As the growth in the collectability of the Patek Philippe Nautilus continued into the early 2010s, the chronograph complication was only offered in the existing Ref. 5980. Hence in 2014, the brand entered into the fray by introducing the Travel-Time Chronograph (Ref. 5990), the first evolution of the Nautilus chronograph. Targeted as a luxurious offering to existing Rolex GMT-Master considered as the primary travel watch, the Ref. 5990 was the brand’s innovation in combining the travel-time complication with a flyback chronograph movement that would its wearer know the difference between their time in their location and their hometown, making it a perfect timepiece for any modern-day traveler. Powered by the in-house automatic caliber 28-520 C FUS, the Ref. 5990 has been rolled out into two versions: first in stainless steel with gradient black dial and its most recent edition in a solid rose gold case with a sunburst blue dial.
Reference 5740: The First Nautilus Perpetual Calendar (2018-present)
To broaden the use of complications within its lineup, Patek Philippe introduced the Nautilus Perpetual Calendar featuring a traditional quantième perpétuel indicating the month, day, date, leap year, moon phase, and a 24-hour cycle.
(© Patek Philippe)
As the 2010s were drawing to a close, it seems that the frenzy of the Nautilus continued any abatement to its excitement and for good measure. Its innovations in building around the Nautilus family with the introduction of various complications that it has integrated since its modern relaunch of the collection. But Patek Philippe had an ace upon its sleeve, saving its most prized complication for its newest offering. In 2018, the brand introduced the Nautilus Perpetual Calendar (Ref. 5740), its first introduction of the said complication in its lineup. Crafted out of a white gold case, the model comes at 40mm with its blue dial layout featuring a traditional quantième perpétuel indicating the month, day, date, leap year, moon phase, and a 24-hour cycle. Powered by the latest in-house caliber 240 Q, the timepiece is a marriage of two essential aesthetics that the brand has perfected: the artistry of the perpetual calendar with the ease of convenience in a sporty white gold case.
The Future Outlook for the Nautilus
No one could have foreseen the magnitude of the appeal of the Patek Philippe Nautilus, let alone by its watch designer Gérald Genta that has become a true emblem of modern watchmaking. But given the recent “hype” over the Nautilus in the past decade alone, the brand is focused on moving onto its next chapter of the famed timepiece. What the future holds for Genta’s masterpiece remains uncertain, entering into its forty-sixth year in production. But one thing remains true: this timepiece will not disappear from our collective consciousness anytime soon and continue to make headlines whenever or wherever it goes.
Interested in owning any of the models of the Patek Philippe Nautilus mentioned here? Find out more at the Vintage Grail website. For more information, contact us at [email protected] or contact us at (+63) 917 159 1211.
