Patek Philippe's Nautilus turns 40 2026

Just this October the Patek Philippe Nautilus turns 40 years old. Philippe Stern is the father of the current president ofPatek Philippeand he was also president after his own father. He has also been a pioneer in many aspects: in 2001 he made his private collection of watches available to the general public by inaugurating the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva and in 2010 he completed the project of putting it under one roof, in the complex ofPlan les Ouates, the various workshops until then scattered across various locations in Geneva. But what reserves an important place in the history of the House is the decision to launch the first sports watch, and in steel! of the brand: the Nautilus,in 1976. It was not treading unknown ground: Audemars Piguet had paved the way in 1972 with its Royal Oak and had demonstrated the profitability of daring.

Throughout these 40 years the Nautilus has become a true icon and – why not say it – abest-sellerwith all the merits. Gerald Genta, also the father of the Royal Oak and one of the most talented watch designers, was responsible for giving birth to theNautilus 3700/1A, a watch that broke with the canons of the luxury watch: large – 42mm, enormous for the time – although very flat thanks to its JLC 920 caliber, water resistant to 120 meters – a novelty at the time – and, as has already been said, made of steel. The nautical touch – the box is reminiscent of a ship's hatch – was suggested by Philippe Stern himself, a great fan and expert sailor. The name is as perfect as the design.

El Nautilus “Jumbo” 3700/1AThe original was in the catalog until 1990, but the Nautilus family continued to grow with the addition of new models made in different metals and sizes, and with different dial designs. Among the main innovations was theNautilus reference 4700/51Jladies' (1980) and mid-size modelsreferences 3800/1 and 3900/1(1981). In 1996, the models with Roman numerals (reference 3800/1JA) and the first model with a leather strap were launched, which would be the precursor to the arrival in 1997 of the modelAquanaut. In 2006, to celebrate its thirtieth anniversary, a subtle update was made to the design of the Nautilus collection in its men's version, replacing the two-piece case with a three-piece construction, culminating in the launch of thereference 5980/1A, an automatic chronograph with the “flyback” function. In 2009, discreet updates were made to the design of the women's collection with the collaboration of Gérald Genta, who would die two years later.

To celebrate these forty years, two of the most emblematic references have been remembered. Thereference 5711/1Pwith a 40 mm platinum case pays tribute to theNautilus reference 3700/1Aoriginal from 1976, nicknamed “Jumbo” thanks to its 42mm, while the chronograph with “flyback” functionreference 5976/1G44 mm in white gold is a tribute to the 2006 collection that commemorated thirty years of the Nautilus. Both models feature a blue dial - a deeper blue than usual - with baguette-shaped diamonds replacing the indexes. The typical Nautilus relief decoration is this time altered by an engraved logo commemorating the anniversary.

And it is precisely this logo of the forty years that has set the networks on fire: beyond the “lack of fidelity to the original” (platinum and white gold versus steel, introduction of diamonds in an eminently sporty watch) the virality granted by the internet has made some jokes spread like wildfire about the opportunity to put said anniversary on the dial – and in such an ostensible way. Although I don't think that worries the brand or those responsible too much: with 700 units for the5711/1P(100,000 CHF, about €91,000) and 1,300 for thechrono 5976/1G(85,000 CHF, about €77,000) the only problem I predict is how to satisfy the demand that will surely be coming from its more than 400 distributors spread around the world. Of course, there is one detail that will reconcile the fan: the case – made of cork – is very faithful to the 1976 original.

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