Patek Philippe / Nautilus
Patek Philippe Nautilus
Collection profile · 1976
Iconic luxury sports watch designed by Gérald Genta in 1976, with a porthole-inspired case and integrated bracelet — one of the most coveted watches in the world.
Collection shots
Pronunciation & name
NAW-tuh-lus
Named after the submarine in Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas.
Why it matters
The Nautilus is one of the defining luxury steel sports watches, pairing Gerald Genta’s porthole-inspired design with Patek Philippe finishing and scarcity.
Key references
Collection timeline
- 1976 — Patek Philippe launches the Nautilus reference 3700, designed by Gerald Genta.
- 2006 — The 30th-anniversary 5711 generation establishes the modern Nautilus era.
- 2014 — The 5990 adds Travel Time chronograph functionality.
- 2021 — Patek Philippe discontinues the steel 5711/1A, intensifying collector attention.
- 2022 — The white-gold 5811 succeeds the 5711 as the core time-and-date Nautilus.
News
- The white-gold 5811 succeeds the steel 5711 as the core time-and-date Nautilus 2022 — Patek Philippe moved the modern time-and-date Nautilus into white gold with the 5811/1G, changing the public face of the collection after the 5711 era. ↗
- Complicated Nautilus models remain central to the official lineup Current collection — The official Nautilus collection currently emphasizes precious metals and complications such as chronograph and Travel Time models. ↗
- Platinum Nautilus 3700/1 sells for CHF 2,540,500 2023 — Phillips sold a platinum Nautilus Jumbo reference 3700/1, showing how rare-metal early Nautilus examples sit far above standard steel-market comparisons. ↗
- Unique Tiffany-blue Nautilus 5711 raises CHF 6.8 million for charity 2021 — Phillips reported the unique Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-018 sale for Children Action, one of the most visible modern Nautilus auction events. ↗
- First-series steel Nautilus 5711/1A appears in Dubai online sale 2022 — Christie’s catalogued a 5711/1A-001 first-series steel Nautilus, useful evidence for how early 5711 details are separated in auction descriptions. ↗
- Tiffany-stamped 5711 sale becomes a mainstream watch-market story 2021 — Hodinkee covered the Tiffany-blue Nautilus auction result as a cultural moment beyond normal collector circles. ↗
Fun facts
A porthole on the wrist
The case architecture was inspired by a ship porthole, matching the Nautilus name and its maritime framing.
Watchatlas editorial note
Steel was the provocation
At launch, the Nautilus challenged luxury norms by presenting a high-end Patek Philippe sports watch in steel.
Watchatlas editorial note
FAQ
Who designed the Patek Philippe Nautilus?
The Nautilus was designed by Gérald Genta and launched by Patek Philippe in 1976 with the original reference 3700.
Why is the Nautilus 5711 so important?
The 5711/1A became the defining modern steel Nautilus and attracted huge collector demand before Patek Philippe discontinued it.
What replaced the 5711?
The 5811/1G followed as the core time-and-date Nautilus, moving the design into a white-gold case.
More from Patek Philippe
- Aquanaut
— Patek Philippe’s modern sport-watch family introduced in 1997, pairing a rounded-octagonal case with the embossed Tropical strap and a younger, more casual counterpart to the Nautilus. - Calatrava
— Patek Philippe’s Calatrava is the brand’s foundational round dress watch family, launched in 1932 with Reference 96 and shaped by Bauhaus-influenced restraint, slim profiles, and a long-running emphasis on purity, proportion, and understated elegance. - Grand Complications
— Patek Philippe’s Grand Complications collection gathers the manufacture’s most ambitious serially produced watches: perpetual calendars, minute repeaters, split-seconds chronographs, celestial displays, tourbillons and multi-complication chiming masterpieces that sit at the peak of the brand’s modern watchmaking.