The legendary watch designer Gerald Genta, Who passed away in 2011, Left behind many significant works. Even just counting the major ones, The list is not short. The trilogy known as the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, Patek Philippe Nautilus, And IWC Ingenieur, As well as Bulgari Bulgari from Bulgari and the Omega Constellation, Are all his creations. When he passed away, High-end sports watches had not yet reached the stage of hype. Looking at today's Royal Oak and Nautilus, I find myself increasingly curious about what Gerald Genta would think. 

The most expensive
stainless steel watch in the world

Early Patek Philippe Nautilus Advertisement ©Time and Watches

‘One of the world’s costliest
watches is made in stainless steel.’

The Nautilus was advertised with the phrase that it is the most expensive watch made of stainless steel. The same goes for the Royal Oak, But in the 1970s, Stainless steel was not a metal that could be purchased as cheaply as it is now. Even so, It was certainly less expensive than precious metals like gold or platinum. In any case, The Nautilus claimed to be the most expensive watch made of stainless steel, And this was not simply because of the price of the material. It stemmed from several features of Gerald Genta's design. 

 (from left) Patek Philippe Nautilus, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak 5402ST,
IWC Ingenieur 1832 SL
©BULANG & SONS

It is a fact that the geometric elements evolved from the octagon of the Royal Oak to the circle of the Ingenieur, And that the pursuit was for an extremely thin watch. At the same time, Water resistance suitable for a sports watch was pursued, And the Nautilus was greatly upgraded from the Royal Oak's 50m water resistance to over double at 120m. In other words, By achieving both thinness and water resistance, It was necessary to set a price that matched the level of design and manufacturing considering the case design and water resistance techniques. 

Nautilus 3700/1A 
©Monochrome

In fact, This "ear" is not only a design element but also serves as a hinge, Allowing the case to open and close like a book. The case and case back are integrated, And the glass and bezel close like a lid in a two-piece case structure. The idea was to minimize the areas where water could enter by not using a separate case back. The more pieces or moving parts a case has, The more entry points there are for water. Later, As water resistance improved and see-through backs showing the caliber were introduced, The structure changed to a three-piece design, But initially, The structure was kept simple to complete its unique proportions. The dial features a subtle blue color and a pattern reminiscent of a yacht deck, Giving it a refreshing and maritime sports-inspired detail. 

Self-winding Cal. 28-255C ©Time and Watches

The caliber used was the renowned self-winding Cal. 28-255C. Developed by Jaeger-LeCoultre and used only by Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, And Patek Philippe, This caliber was most extensively modified by Patek Philippe. Compared to the base version Cal. 920 from Jaeger-LeCoultre, The thickness increased by 0.1mm, Reflecting Patek Philippe's intentions. Thanks to the Cal. 28-255C and the case structure, The thickness of Ref. 3700/1A was only 7.5mm, Preserving the elegance that Gerald Genta envisioned. Although it was a model that put forth every effort in design and technology, Unlike the Royal Oak, It struggled significantly in the early days. It was a watch aimed at younger customers, But in reality, It was purchased by older clients, And the sales volume of Ref. 3700 was only about 1, 200 units. 

The first Nautilus, 3700/1A

The Nautilus, Which was in the process of transitioning from an octagon to a circle, Reflected the rounded corners of the octagon in the bezel shape. Thanks to this, It established itself as a very unique design. In addition, The ear-like details on both sides of the case also contribute to its uniqueness. 

Nautilus 3700/1A 
©Monochrome

In fact, This ear is not only a design element but also serves as a hinge, Allowing the case to open and close like a book. The case and case back are integrated, And the glass and bezel close like a lid in a two-piece case structure. The idea was to minimize the areas where water could enter by not using a separate case back. The more pieces or moving parts a case has, The more entry points there are for water. Later, As water resistance improved and see-through backs showing the caliber were introduced, The structure changed to a three-piece design, But initially, The structure was kept simple to complete its unique proportions. The dial features a subtle blue color and a pattern reminiscent of a yacht deck, Giving it a refreshing and maritime sports-inspired detail. 

Self-winding Cal. 28-255C ©Time and Watches

The caliber used was the renowned self-winding Cal. 28-255C. Developed by Jaeger-LeCoultre and used only by Audemars Piguet, Vacheron Constantin, And Patek Philippe, This caliber was most extensively modified by Patek Philippe. Compared to the base version Cal. 920 from Jaeger-LeCoultre, The thickness increased by 0.1mm, Reflecting Patek Philippe's intentions. Thanks to the Cal. 28-255C and the case structure, The thickness of Ref. 3700/1A was only 7.5mm, Preserving the elegance that Gerald Genta envisioned. Although it was a model that put forth every effort in design and technology, Unlike the Royal Oak, It struggled significantly in the early days. It was a watch aimed at younger customers, But in reality, It was purchased by older clients, And the sales volume of Ref. 3700 was only about 1, 200 units. 

Modern Nautilus
Reference 5711/1A

In 2006, The Ref. 5711/1A, Which was 1mm larger than the Ref. 3700, Known as the "Jumbo" for its large case diameter at the time, Was introduced. Although it has become slightly larger, The overall shape remains unchanged, Inheriting the case design and proportions. Of course, There have been subtle changes in the details.

Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711-1A-001 Blue Dial (2006-2021)
©Monochrome

The ears on both sides of the case became more pronounced, And the indexes and hands became slightly larger. The links of the bracelet became a bit shorter, Making the already flexible bracelet even more supple, Resulting in improved comfort. The finishing of the case also improved, With six out of about thirty case polishers dedicated exclusively to the Nautilus for beautiful finishing. The most significant change is the caliber. With the in-house self-winding Cal. 315 SC (later changed to Cal. 324 SC), It became a fully in-house product. Although the previous Cal. 28-255C was also heavily modified in-house, It was based on Jaeger-LeCoultre's base. 

Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712-1A-001
©Patek Philippe

With the advent of the Ref. 5711 era, Demand for sports watches increased, And even in the high-end segment, Sports watches became sought after. It was also around this time that the number of Nautilus variations increased. Starting with the representative derivative model Ref. 5712, Which features a delicate micro-rotor self-winding movement and moon phase, Other variations such as self-winding chronograph, Travel time (dual time) and chronograph, And annual calendar were introduced, Allowing Patek Philippe's unique functions to be enjoyed casually with the Nautilus. As demand for high-end sports watches grew and the hype increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, The value of the Nautilus continued to rise, Making it a rare and hard-to-find piece. 

Nautilus 5711/1A-010

40mm, Blue

Nautilus 5711/1A-011

40mm, White

Nautilus Moon Phases 5712/1A-001

40mm, Blue

Nautilus Moonphases 5712GR-001

40mm, Slate Gray

New Nautilus
Reference 5811/1G

Ironically, The most expensive watch made of stainless steel came to an end with Ref. 5711, And from the new generation Ref. 5811 (2022), It now appears with a white gold case.

Patek Philippe Nautilus 5811/1G ©Patek Philippe

Patek Philippe sought to preserve the value of the Nautilus and the brand by using precious metals. Of course, By choosing a white gold case instead of stainless steel, Patek Philippe's profits will also increase. As is often the case with watches that have become icons like the Nautilus, There are no major changes compared to the original. If anything, There are subtle changes in the dial color, But even within the same generation, These can vary depending on the production lot, So it is hard to say that there have been significant changes. 

Patek Philippe Nautilus 5811/1G ©Time and Watches

The most notable changes are the case material and the movement, Which has been changed to Cal. 26-330 SC. The use of silicon material improves anti-magnetic performance, But this improvement applies not only to the Nautilus but to Patek Philippe watches in general. It also has a traditional power reserve of about 45 hours. Compared to the latest self-winding calibers from Audemars Piguet, Which are well adapted to modern lifestyles, This may be a bit disappointing, But there is still high demand and those on the waiting list may not consider it a significant issue.  

Nautilus 5811/1G

41mm, Blue