Ten Essential Luxury Watches

Ten Essential Luxury Watches


by Michael Weare

Ten Essential Luxury Watches – Watch Number 10
Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711

Once you have one Patek Philippe watch in your collection, you will certainly want another. And the one I personally would most treasure is the Jumbo Nautilus. The Nautilus was the first luxury sports watch and was designed by the late and legendary Gerald Genta, who also designed another choice in this luxury watch collection, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak.

The majority of the production was and still is in stainless steel. According to Genta himself, he designed the Nautilus at Basel World when he was sitting at lunch with some Patek Philippe executives. He designed the watch on the back of a napkin as they were talking. After lunch he showed them the design, and they were so impressed it went straight into production. The basic design has not changed in decades.

Introduced in 1976, the Nautilus has established itself as a classic, an elegant sports watch with the porthole shaped bezel. The original reference is one of the most sought-after timepieces at auction. In the current collection the watch that most resembles the original is the Ref 5711/1A, and in fact it looks even better than the original. You can opt for a model in rose gold, but you are better to stick with the stainless steel.

Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5771/1A

Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5771/1A

This watch can be comfortably used for diving, but don’t expect the same depth capabilities of a Rolex Submariner or a professional tool watch, that’s not what the Nautilus is all about. It’s a supremely stylish sports watch you can wear on land, on sea, and enjoy the cachet of wearing a Patek.

One of the design features of the Patek Philippe Nautilus is that the dial has a small gradient, where the blue or black face goes from dark to light as you move to the centre, creating a ripple effect. Hard to achieve, it’s just another hallmark of Patek quality.

While there is a Nautilus chronograph and recently a new Nautilus dual time version, the Ref 5711 has just a date at 3 o’clock.

Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5771/1A

Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5771/1A

List price for the Nautilus is $26,700, you may be able to get it for a little less, but the extra cost of ensuring that the watch is from a reputable and authorised dealer is definitely worth the extra investment. What do you get for your money? In terms of specifications, a sapphire crystal back, a quality screw-down crown, the famous black-blue dial with gold applied hour markers with luminescent coating, a self-winding calibre 324 S C movement with date and sweep second hand, and approximately 45 hour of power reserve. But there is an additional element you also get with a Patek, and it is best summed up in the company’s dearly held values.

Brad Pitt wearing Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A

Brad Pitt wearing Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711/1A

Independence, Tradition, Innovation, Rarity, Value, Quality. It’s the disciplined consistency in the way Patek Philippe applies these values in everything they do that makes it a brand of, in their own words, unparalleled renown. And you can’t really disagree with them.

Would these be yours brands of choice for the essential luxury watch collection?
Let us know, we would love to know your choices.

Ten Essential Luxury Watches – Synopsis:

1. The Rolex Day-Date President
2. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore “Bumblebee”
3. TAG Heuer Monaco
4. Omega Seamaster 300 M Co-Axial 41MM
5. Cartier Tank
6. Breitling Chronomat 44 Flying Fish
7. Panerai Radiomir 1940 3 Days – 47mm PAM 00514
8. IWC Da Vinci Automatic
9. Patek Philippe Calatrava
10. Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711

    Author Bio

    Articles by Michael Weare

    CONTRIBUTOR

    Michael Weare hails from an international advertising agency background where he handled several well known and highly desirable watch brands; handled, but sadly never got to keep. However it's this exposure that gave him a lasting fascination for watches. Michael was Editor of Click Tempus for over 2.5 years and is now in the same role at Watchuseek, the web's largest watch forum.