The Patek Philippe Nautilus | family history
Patek's answer, four years late, to the Royal Oak Genta had designed for AP, and from the same designer. The Nautilus launched in 1976 to muted demand (Philippe Stern himself described it as 'modest') and spent four decades being a quietly excellent sports watch before the 5711 became the most-hyped reference in the modern industry. This walk frames each era and the references the catalog currently tracks.
Patek’s 1976 entry into luxury-steel-sport, designed by Gerald Genta on the heels of the Royal Oak. The 5711 generation became the defining grail of the 2018–2022 market peak.
1976–1990 · The 3700/1A, the original Jumbo Nautilus
Patek presented the Nautilus ref. 3700/1A at Baselworld 1976. Gerald Genta designed it (same hand as the Royal Oak); the 42mm case was massive for the era. Caliber 28-255 C (a Jaeger-LeCoultre 920 derivative, the same ultra-thin movement architecture as the Royal Oak Jumbo). 'Jumbo' was both the period nickname and a literal description. Production ran ~1976–1990: modest volumes, low contemporary demand. Auction-market reference now; not in the Grail Atlas catalog.
No references from this era in the catalog yet.
2006–2021 · The 5711/1A, the modern Nautilus that became a phenomenon
Patek launched the 5711/1A in 2006 to mark the Nautilus's 30th anniversary. 40mm case (slightly smaller than the 3700), caliber 324 S C (in-house automatic, smaller and more refined than the JLC-derived 28-255). The 5711 was the central Nautilus reference for fifteen years and the watch most people picture when they hear 'steel Patek.' Thierry Stern announced its discontinuation in early 2021; the announcement coincided with, and arguably crystallized, the peak of the modern grey-market boom.
- OpenNautilus (modern steel) · 5711/1A-010most soughtLast steel three-hander Nautilus before the line expanded; secondary premiums remain significant despite high original production numbers.
2006–present · The 5712/1A: the same case, more complications
Parallel to the 5711, Patek introduced the 5712/1A in 2006: same case, but with moon phase, pointer date, power reserve, and small seconds laid out asymmetrically across the dial. Caliber 240 PS IRM C LU (micro-rotor, ultra-thin). The 5712 has lived in the 5711's shadow commercially but is a richer-finished movement and a more interesting watch. It remained in production after the 5711's 2021 discontinuation.
- OpenNautilus with moonphase and power reserve at a comparable secondary price to the 5711, offering substantially more complication.
2014–present · The 5990/1A, the Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph
The 5990/1A (2014–present) packs a flyback chronograph and dual-time-zone Travel Time into the Nautilus case. Caliber CH 28-520 C FUS. 40.5mm case (slightly larger than the 5711 to accommodate the complication height). One of the most-complicated production Nautili and the closest current-production analogue to what made the 5711 desirable, but more interesting mechanically.
How to read this family
Three honest questions for any Nautilus buyer:
- Steel or precious metal? The steel Nautilus is the canonical reference and the watch the whole hype cycle was built around. Gold and platinum variants exist and trade in their own markets at lower premium-over-retail multiples. Steel is what's actually scarce.
- 5711, 5712, or 5990? The 5711 is the discontinued time-only reference and the most-hyped. The 5712 is the complications-forward sibling that was always available: more interesting movement, less hype. The 5990 is the Travel Time Chronograph, most useful, most expensive, also the most legitimately 'horological' of the three.
- Buy at retail or secondary? Patek doesn't sell directly. Authorized-dealer waitlists for any modern Nautilus run multi-year. Secondary-market prices have corrected significantly from 2021/2022 peaks but remain above retail. The honest buyer's choice: build the AD relationship, or pay the secondary premium for immediacy.
Related families: Aquanaut · Royal Oak · Calatrava
Sub-lines
- OpenThe dual-time-zone Nautilus references: 5990/1A and the later 5990/1R combine a flyback chronograph with Patek’s Travel Time module (independently-adjustable local hour hand, day/night indicators). The most-complicated steel-case Nautilus production reference.
- OpenThe 5712 sub-line: power-reserve indicator at ten, moonphase and pointer-date at seven, small seconds at four-thirty. The dressier of the Nautilus calendar references, in production since 2006 in steel (5712/1A) and rose gold (5712/1R).
References in this family
- OpenThe Genta-designed original Nautilus; the porthole case language it introduced is still in production fifty years later.
- OpenLast steel three-hander Nautilus before the line expanded; secondary premiums remain significant despite high original production numbers.
- Open
- OpenNautilus with moonphase and power reserve at a comparable secondary price to the 5711, offering substantially more complication.
- Open
Which ref to buy
The Nautilus is the most coveted integrated-bracelet sports watch in the world and its secondary market pricing reflects that -- every ref in this family trades above retail.
- 1Open
THE Nautilus: blue dial steel 5711, discontinued 2021, commands a substantial secondary market premium and shows no signs of softening.
- The case for it:
- The 5711 is the reason the Nautilus family has the reputation it has. Blue dial, steel case, cal. 315 SC, and limited supply following discontinuation. The most wanted sports watch on the planet.
- Consider instead if:
- Secondary market prices are disconnected from intrinsic mechanical value. The 5712 and 5990 offer more complications at lower premiums.
- 2Open
The original 1976 Genta design -- the vintage holy grail and the reference that set the template every subsequent Nautilus followed.
- The case for it:
- First-generation Nautilus examples in original condition are legitimate museum pieces. Cal. 28-255 C and the original porthole case. Nothing comes before this.
- Consider instead if:
- Vintage Patek requires very careful provenance checking and service history. Not for the uninitiated.
- 3Open
Nautilus with power reserve and moonphase -- current production, harder to find than the discontinued 5711, and adds genuine complications.
- The case for it:
- The 5712 adds meaningful complications without losing the Nautilus character. Current production means service support and availability (in theory).
- Consider instead if:
- Moonphase adds a complication not everyone uses. The 5711 remains more coveted despite being discontinued.
- 4Open
Travel time plus chronograph Nautilus -- for the functionality-focused collector who wants maximum complication in the sports case.
- The case for it:
- Two time zones and a chronograph in the Nautilus case. The most capable daily-travel tool in the family.
- Consider instead if:
- Complex dial can feel crowded compared to the purity of the 5711 layout. Very specific use case for the complication stack.
- 5Open
Perpetual calendar Nautilus in white gold -- the most complicated Nautilus, stratospheric pricing, ultimate complication collector target.
- The case for it:
- Perpetual calendar in the Nautilus case is a genuine technical achievement. White gold and rare allocation make this the rarest configuration.
- Consider instead if:
- White gold perpetual calendar pricing is disconnected from most collectors budgets. An acquisition piece, not a wearable recommendation.
Rankings last reviewed 2026-06-06. Editorial perspective only. Not financial advice.