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Known as the icon of the 1970’s, the Patek Philippe Nautilus watch quickly became one of the world’s most sight-after watch models. Crafted over 40 forty years ago, the watch piece certainly made a statement in the jewelry industry which is now a timeless piece adored by many watch wearers.
History Of The Patek Philippe Brand
Patek Philippe has been designing stunning high-quality watches since 1839 and has made a huge impact on the jewelry industry to say the least. Patek Philippe was founded by Antoine Norbert de Patek and François Czapek under the name Patek, Czapek & Cie, the team worked with Jean Adrien Philippe who developed an ingenious winding and hand-setting system in 1844 which revolutionised modern timepieces, and resulted in a company name change to Patek, Philippe & Cie. Later in 1868, the company developed their first ever wristwatch which soared in the fashion industry and resulted in more developments and innovative movements to continually improve their wristwatch features.
By 1933, the brand became known simply as Patek Philippe, and to date, it has created over 160 different watch designs and developed more than 40 different movements in-house. The company today continues to produce stunning pocket watches and wristwatches with even more complex and clever features. Renowned for being such a highly innovative brand, Patek Philippe are just one of the most popular watch brands that are at the forefront of luxury watch technology design and continue to create timeless pieces.
The Invention Of The Nautilus Timepiece
As the brand’s first ever sports watch, the Nautilus was launched in 1976 as an inspiration by another world-renowned Swiss watch company, Audemars Piguet, which saw a gap in the market for luxury steel watches. Until that point, luxury watches were only ever made from luxury materials like gold or platinum, as steel was not deemed expensive enough to use in luxury watch design. However, the steel materials offered a higher level of durability that the other typical luxury watches couldn’t match. Audemars Piguet enlisted the famous watch designer, Gerald Genta, to create their iconic luxury steel sports watch, the Royal Oak, which quickly became the talk of the jewelry industry. Four years later, Patek Philippe followed suit and used the same designer to come up with the Nautilus, which quickly became a major competitor to the Royal Oak.
Although steel was the material of choice for the original Nautilus, the elegant design has since become so iconic that there is now demand for precious metal versions. Currently, the Patek Philippe Nautilus watch collection includes steel, rose gold, and white gold models; some of which are embellished with diamonds and sapphire crystals. The Nautilus is available in designs suitable for both men and women, and many of the models have additional features, such as perpetual calendars and moon phase apertures.
Timeless Design Features Of The Nautilus
The Nautilus piece comes in an iconic octagonal shape with rounded edges to give it a softer and more elegant design, differing it to your typical sports watch. The timeless piece is also known for its sleek and innovative porthole case that imitates the portholes of a ship. On the watch itself, there are no visible screws around the bezel, giving it a clean and minimal look, as well as horizontal grooves across its dial. The collective subtle design features are what makes the Nautilus so iconic in the watch industry. Heading back to the first ever launch of the iconic Nautilus, the watch was first designed with a navy blue dial which complemented its seafaring design inspiration. Today the watch is available in a large number of colours in its dial, with the rich blue shade still remaining to be one of the most popular styles, as the neutral colour integrates superbly into any vared wardrobe.
What Can I Expect To Pay For A Patek Philippe Nautilus Watch?
With Patek Philippe continuing to be one of the most luxurious and expensive watchmaker brands in the world, the Nautilus remains one of their most iconic watches, which only means one thing for the extensive pricing of the rare timepiece. If you’re looking for your very own Nautilus watch, then you can expect it to be a serious investment that is very likely to grow in value. The collection of Patek Philippe watches are relatively rare; the brand has produced less than a million watches since its foundation in 1939. The rarity of the brand's watches makes them highly sought after by many luxury watch enthusiasts, therefore even pre-owned Patek Philippe watches range from £2500 to £160,000, with the Nautilus being anywhere from £25,000 to £100,000, depending on the model. Despite the extensive prices coming as a surprise to many, the prices are fully justified in the quality and durability of the iconic timepieces.
Which Is The Best Nautilus Model?
If you’re after a classic Patek Philippe Nautilus, then the 5711/1A is a brilliant choice for watch lovers. The piece comes in stainless steel with a timeless navy blue dial, and is wound via a 21k solid gold rotor, as well as this, the model has a 26-330 S C self-winding movement and runs at 28,800 BPH. A crystal back on the case allows you to view the watch calibre, and with a power reserve of 45 hours and water resistance of 120m, this is a practical and beautiful Nautilus model and one of the most popular Patek Philippe watches for sale. For those searching for the perfect high-quality, pre-owned luxury watch, then look no further than the ranges here at Watch Centre. Our number of watch specialists can support you in browsing our impressive collection of watches to help you find the watch of your dreams in a matter of no time.
