The Patek Philippe Nautilus, introduced in 1976, defined the luxury sports watch category alongside its sibling, the Royal Oak. Both were drawn by Gérald Genta, and according to legend, Genta sketched the Nautilus in a matter of minutes at a Basel Fair restaurant in 1974, inspired by a ship's porthole while watching Patek executives at a nearby table. The horizontal "ears" flanking the case, the integrated bracelet, and the embossed blue dial with horizontal grooves made it immediately distinctive.
The original reference 3700/1A "Jumbo", at 42mm and just 7.6mm thick, was revolutionary. Despite a steel case, it was priced higher than many gold dress watches; Patek's contemporary advertising read "one of the world's costliest watches is made of steel." In 1980 came the 37.5mm midsize 3800/1A, produced until 2005. The 1990s brought the 3712 (moonphase and power reserve) and 3711 (white gold) as limited transitional pieces.
The modern Nautilus phenomenon began in 2006 with the reference 5711/1A, a digital-age reinterpretation of the original 3700. With a 40mm steel case, 8.3mm profile, blue horizontal-grooved dial, and integrated bracelet, the 5711 became one of the most sought-after watches of the 2010s. The 5980/1A introduced the first Nautilus chronograph in 2006, followed by the 5990/1A Travel Time chronograph in 2014. Authorised-dealer waiting lists stretched into years.
In January 2021, Patek president Thierry Stern announced production of the 5711/1A would end that year. The farewell came in the form of the Tiffany-dialled 5711/1A-018, a 170-piece edition for Tiffany & Co.'s 170th anniversary; one example sold at Phillips in New York in December 2021 for $6.5 million. In 2022, Patek introduced the 5811/1G as the 5711's successor: 41mm white gold, new caliber 26-330 S C. In 2024, the steel 5811/1A finally arrived, returning the collection's beating heart to its original metal.
For Patek Philippe Nautilus buyers in Turkey, Bedesten Watches in Suadiye, Istanbul offers a rotating inventory of Nautilus references including the 3700, 3711, 3712, 3800, 5711, 5712, 5980, 5990 and the modern 5811.
