{"id":4918,"date":"2020-05-29T13:06:51","date_gmt":"2020-05-29T13:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swisswatchexpo.com\/TheWatchClub\/?p=4918"},"modified":"2025-08-02T16:26:26","modified_gmt":"2025-08-02T16:26:26","slug":"patek-philippe-nautilus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swisswatchexpo.com\/thewatchclub\/2020\/05\/29\/patek-philippe-nautilus\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Facts About the Patek Philippe Nautilus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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The Patek Philippe Nautilus<\/a> is the most coveted steel luxury sports watch today, with a reported\u00a0average waiting time of 8 years. At 44 years old, it\u00a0has indeed more than defied the odds of its time.<\/p>\n

Launched in 1976, when the Swiss watch industry was reeling from the popularity of quartz watches, the Nautilus was unlike anything that was expected from the brand. To survive, brands had to deliver innovative and awe-inducing watches and the Nautilus sure delivered.<\/p>\n

The oversized, expensive and steel-made watch with a premium price stood out from the pack, and has been in continuous production since. Here are 5 things you probably didn’t know about the legendary Patek Philippe Nautilus.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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#1 It was sketched by renowned watch designer Gerald Genta\u00a0in 5 minutes.<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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Genius doesn’t always take time. In the case of Gerald Genta, all it took was 5 minutes. In a 2009 interview, Genta told the story of how he came up with the Nautilus.<\/p>\n

Sitting in a restaurant at the 1976 Basel Fair, Genta took notice of the Patek Philippe executives\u00a0eating at the other end of the room. He put pen to paper and began sketching out a rough design. Knowing that the Stern family, owners of Patek Philippe, were avid fans of sailing, he based the design from\u00a0the shape of the porthole of a transatlantic liner.\u00a0The \u2018ears\u2019 on each side of the Nautilus were inspired by the\u00a0oversized\u00a0hinges of the watertight windows.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Patek Philippe Nautilus Rose Gold Diamond Brown Strap Ladies Watch 7010<\/em><\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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#2 The Nautilus takes its name from a novel.<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

The nautical-inspired watch\u00a0took its name from Jules Verne\u2019s classic novel\u00a0Twenty Thousand\u00a0Leagues Under the Sea,\u00a0<\/em>an underwater adventure story. The protagonist Captain Nemo\u00a0invented and commanded a submarine named Nautilus, which was\u00a0armour-plated, so strong it can sink\u00a0any ship, and was equipped with a 12,000-volume library,\u00a0and an art collection.<\/p>\n

The thrilling piece of Verne’s imagination not only inspired the Patek Philippe Nautilus but also the first commissioned submarine of the US Navy and the first nuclear powered submarine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Patek Philippe Nautilus Annual Calendar Moonphase Steel Mens Watch 5726\/1A<\/em><\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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#3 Patek took a risk with its price but it ultimately helped the company survive the quartz crisis.<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

One of the Nautilus’ earliest ads says “one\u00a0of the world\u2019s costliest watches is made of steel.\u201d Instead of cutting costs to appeal to customers, Patek Philippe did the exact opposite and put a steep price on the Nautilus.<\/p>\n

In 1976, the original retail price for the Nautilus was $3,100 when a Rolex Daytona<\/a> sold for a little under $1,000 and a Patek Philippe mechanical wrist watch in gold sold for $4,000. It was a risk that attracted affluent customers and the Nautilus continues to appeal to the same market today.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Patek Philippe Nautilus Rose Gold Diamond Brown Strap Ladies Watch 7010<\/em><\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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#4 Patek started adding precious metals to the Nautilus in the 1980s.<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

While the Nautilus was conceived as a steel sports watch, they began to expand their line to include solid yellow gold and two-tone models beginning in the 1980s. In 2004, they released a full white gold Nautilus, the 3711\/1G.\u00a0Most recently, the brand released\u00a0two limited edition pieces to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Nautilus, \u00a0in white gold and platinum respectively.<\/p>\n

Its steel form was what made the Nautilus so popular in the first place, and these remain the\u00a0most popular among collectors.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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#5 Its most popular model, the 5711\/1A, is faithful to its ancestor, the original Nautilus 3700.<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

There will always be a market for Nautilus made of precious metals, especially those that are more complicated or have more ornate designs. However, the most coveted Nautilus today remains a steel model – the ref. 5711 to be exact.<\/p>\n

The ref. 5711 was just one of 4 watches launched for the 30th anniversary of the Nautilus in 2006, but it was the one that resonated most with collectors. When placed side by side with the original Nautilus ref. 3700,\u00a0the resemblance is uncanny, and perhaps that is what makes it so popular.<\/p>\n

The modern ref. 5711\u00a0watch<\/a> best sums up\u00a0what the Nautilus is for collectors: a bold but\u00a0sleek\u00a0sports watch, with a semi-round case, a\u00a0blue dial, and a stainless steel construction\u00a0– just like the 3700 was.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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SEE MORE OF THE WATCHES IN OUR VIDEO:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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