At first glance it is relatively restrained. Three hands, a date and a dial without unnecessary detail. Yet the Nautilus 5711 has become one of the modern watch references that fascinates people most.
To understand why, you have to go back to 1976 – to a time when an exclusive sports watch in steel still challenged the idea of what luxury should look like.
A bold step for Patek Philippe
When Patek Philippe presented the first Nautilus, reference 3700, it was a clear step in a new direction. The manufacturer was closely associated with classic wristwatches and advanced mechanics. Here came a large steel watch with an integrated bracelet and a case inspired by a ship's porthole.
The design was by Gérald Genta. The shape combined a maritime expression with an attention to proportion that would become decisive for the model's identity. Even the original treated case and bracelet as one coherent whole.
That is also where much of the Nautilus's character lies. You recognise the silhouette before you have had time to read the name on the dial.
5711 – a careful evolution
Reference 5711 was introduced in 2006, when the Nautilus turned 30. It built on the original's design language while moving the model forward with, among other things, a central seconds hand and a sapphire crystal caseback through which the automatic movement could be seen.
In the steel version, the characteristic case was paired with an integrated steel bracelet, where brushed and polished surfaces created contrast. It gave the watch an expression that could shift between sporty and elegant without the design itself having to change.
The blue-black dial became especially associated with the model. Its horizontal pattern and shifting tones brought life to an otherwise clean composition. In 2021 the blue 5711/1A-010 was replaced by the olive-green 5711/1A-014.