Chapter 2/6 – From a Single Design to a Full Collection
Born as a single reference in 1976, Nautilus quickly expanded into a full collection, though not the collection one might think of. The current state of the line has little to do with what it was for most of its existence. The one model that overshadows the entire range, even though it was retired four years ago, also acts as a mental windscreen to understand what Nautilus is as a whole. To properly take the measure of this collection, one must look past the 5711, the modern Jumbo, which became the be-all and end-all of integrated-bracelet sports watches, of flipper watches, of cool watches and of all Pateks. But let's not ahead of ourselves here.
From Radical Experiment to Expanding Collection (1976–1998)
So in 1976, Philippe Stern bets on a new watch that marked massive departure from Patek Philippe's style, the Nautilus 3700 1/A. It is now considered as a grail among collectors, the seminal Nautilus, the one that started it all. One of the reasons it is so sought-after is because there are not that many around, because Patek didn't manufacture that many of them. It was a non-core collection from a rather small brand. Instead, Patek kept the collection alive with a massive amount of variations.
From the beginning, the 42-millimeter 3700 was released in steel as well as in the other precious metals that lie at the heart of Patek's identity. Shortly thereafter, another Nautilus came to life: reference 4700, a smaller 27-millimeter timepiece for women, with a completely different bracelet. And it became the canvas for a great many variations, many of which included diamonds, sometimes to a very lavish degree. Nautilus was born for men and immediately gained a sister intended for women. These 4700 models were all fitted with the then all-the-rage quartz movement, which had by then reached sufficient maturity. Patek leaned heavily into them.
Patek Philippe never stopped experimenting with the Nautilus’ squarish profile in order to strike the right balance at any given time. In 1981, the 3700 evolved into the smaller 37.5-millimeter 3800, featuring revised dimensions and movement, yet remaining essentially the same watch. Then, in 1998, emerged the 3710, which introduced the model’s first complication. It was not a major one, mind you: it featured a barely readable power reserve indicator on the side and, more noticeably, Roman numerals. The cat was out of the bag, and Nautilus would be forever changed by that move.
A Sports Watch With Limits: Complications Without Grand Complications
Leap to 2005, Patek Philippe decided to make the Nautilus a bona fide range within its catalog, developing it with the same method applied to the Calatrava. The Nautilus is about to enter the realm of complications. What is striking, however, is that even at a time when complicated watches were becoming the hottest thing around, when the market exploded with creativity, invention and purchasing power, Patek Philippe never endowed the Nautilus with the noble mechanisms it calls Grand Complications.
Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, arguably a Golden Age of high watchmaking, the Nautilus never received a rattrapante, nor even a hand-wound chronograph, traditionally held in higher regard than its self-winding counterpart in Patek's eye. No tourbillon, no perpetual calendar, and of course, no chiming movement. It only received an annual calendar in 2010. The Nautilus remained a small- to mid-complication collection throughout these crucial fifteen years. Why ? While never official, the rationale was something along the lines of “it wasn't done”. Patek would not put a delicate high complication inside what was essentially a sports watch. In their view, those two aspects didn't work together.
The 5711 Era and the Unexpected Rise
The Nautilus finally reached a point of maturity in 2006 with the introduction of the 5711. Once again available in multiple materials, it gained traction but was, at the time, a vintage-looking watch that few people understood, much less gave the time of day. It was overlooked and not in fashion outside the circle of knowledgeable collectors. The same could be said of the small seconds/moonphase/power reserve version (ref 5712), or the self-winding chronograph (ref. 5980), and even the 5990. This one was an odd one out. For the first time, Patek played with the case « ears » and turned them into pushers to set the local time. But at 12.45 mm-thick, it was almost a behemoth of a timepiece according to Patek's standards.
These were practical, great sport-chic timepieces, a segment that wasn't famous yet. Then, around the year 2018, things took a dramatic turn and Patek Philippe hit the absolute jackpot.
