With four new Nautilus models, Patek Philippe offers a new interpretation of casual elegance

 

 

At the Watches and Wonders Geneva 2021, Swiss luxury watchmaker Patek Philippe provided a place of honor for its legendary Nautilus collection. Following the announcement that 2021 will be the last production year of the stainless steel model Ref. 5711/1A, Patek Philippe unveiled a totally new olive green sunburst dial for this icon of casual elegance. This new dial will also be available in a version featuring a bezel set with baguette diamonds. The Ref. 5990/1 Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph comes in rose gold with a blue sunburst dial while a new Nautilus Haute Joaillerie with a random full diamond pavé setting makes a scintillating debut.

Launched in 1976, the Nautilus watch was surprising in several respects. The choice of stainless steel was totally unusual for a luxury watch. The octagonal bezel with rounded corners departed from conventional designs. Its case was inspired by a ship’s porthole. The exceptional robustness and water resistance to 120 meters was an extreme challenge then for a regularly produced watch. And the interplay of polished and satin-brushed finissage emphasized the uniqueness of the form elements.

As a kickoff to Watches and Wonders Geneva 2021, which Patek Philippe joined for the first time, the Nautilus
collection stands out with four new versions of existing models. They are four variations of a unique design that to date has lost none of its boldness and inimitable personality.

Patek Philippe Ref. 5711/1A-014 Nautilus timepiece: a new dial in sunburst olive green

Now that it has been announced that the Ref. 5711/1A in stainless steel will soon be discontinued, Patek Philippe is unveiling this cult model with an olive green dial – a hue that never existed before in the Nautilus collection. This elegant shade is emphasized with a gentle sunburst finish that harmonizes with the light reflected from the steel case, enhancing the design with a contemporary facet. It also assures legibility at any time of day or night, creating a perfect contrast against the luminescent hands and hour markers in white gold.

Patek Philippe Ref. 5711/1300A-001 Nautilus watch: a new and unique combination of stainless steel and baguette diamonds

With the new Ref. 5711/1300A-001, Patek Philippe introduces an exceptionally remarkable alliance: cool steel with
baguette-cut diamonds that are usually only paired with precious metal. The characteristic shape of the bezel and case is emphasized with a row of 32 flawless Top Wesselton baguette diamonds (~3.6 ct.) set to the highest standards of the master jeweler’s art. A highly refined detail: Each baguette diamond has a special slightly trapezoidal shape instead of the classic rectangle and is cut to perfectly match the octagonal bezel with the rounded corners.

The fire of the diamonds also illuminates the olive green dial that was introduced this year with the Ref. 5711/1A-014. The inimitable dial features the typical Nautilus horizontally embossed decor as well as the delicate shimmer of the sunburst finish. The hour markers and the slightly rounded baton hands in white gold are coated with a luminous compound and assure excellent legibility at any time of day or night.

Patek Philippe Ref. 5990/1R-001 Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph: a new look in rose gold with a blue sunburst dial

The Ref. 5990/1 Nautilus launched in stainless steel in 2014 with a dial that has a black gradation to the periphery combines three useful and conveniently operable complications: a flyback chronograph, a Travel Time function (two time zones) and an analog date at 12 o’clock synchronized with local time. Patek Philippe now offers this model in a new rose-gold version that contrasts beautifully with the horizontally embossed blue sunburst dial as well as with the hour markers and hands in rose gold with luminous coatings.

This watch, which is water resistant to 120 meters, is powered by the self-winding chronograph caliber CH 28-520 C
FUS that melds venerable traditions (column wheel control) with avantgarde aplomb (disk clutch). The sweep
chronograph hand is complemented with a 60-minute counter at 6 o’clock. The flyback function enables the instant start of a new short-time measurement while the chronograph is already running. This is done by pressing the pusher at 4 o’clock without first stopping the hand with the pusher at 2 o’clock.

Ref. 7118/1450R-001 Nautilus Haute Joaillerie: a new version of the Nautilus with a random pavé setting

The iconic design of ladies’ Nautilus watches comes in various haute joaillerie versions set with brilliant-cut diamonds or baguette diamonds. From 2013 to 2018, Patek Philippe offered a rose gold model that including the dial was adorned with diamonds in a random pavé setting (also referred to as snow-setting (Ref. 7021/1R-001).

Now, Patek Philippe is revisiting this precious tradition by presenting a new model in rose gold with a diamond snow-setting on the case, the bezel, and the bracelet. The exclusive dial features individual rows of diamonds that exhibit a fine undulated relief, a typical facet of the Nautilus ladies’ collection. The second difference: the case is somewhat larger, with a diameter of 35.2 mm from 10 to 4 o’clock (as opposed to 33.6 mm for its predecessor).

The new Ref. 7118/1450R-001 Nautilus sparkles with the fire of 2553 flawless Top Wesselton brilliant-cut diamonds
(~12.69 ct). This gleaming look is created with the very rare snow-setting technique, also known as random pavé. It is a highly sophisticated method mastered down to the last detail by the manufacture’s artisans. It consists of setting and fixation of diamonds of different sizes with the objective of minimizing the exposure of precious metal between the individual stones. It is self-evident that each watch with a full random pavé is a one-of-a-kind piece.

Perfect legibility is an indispensable requirement at Patek Philippe and also applies to haute joaillerie watches. This is why the dial features “Alpha” hour and minute hands in luminous rose gold; the applied Arabic rose-gold numerals are luminous as well.

The rose-gold case accommodates a self-winding caliber 324 S movement with extremely elaborate finissage that can
be admired through the sapphire-crystal case back. The 18K rose-gold bracelet combines elegance with a truly
comfortable fit. It is outfitted with a patented Patek Philippe fold-over clasp that is secured with four independent
catches.