Everyone’s favourite cult watch is back and it’s got more than a few updates.
When Patek Philippe announced the discontinuation of its hottest Nautilus model, Ref. 5711, it was the end of an era not just for the timepiece but an entire generation of watch collectors. Even though the manufacture released a couple of final editions after making that announcement – such as the olive green model and the megahype collaboration with Tiffany & Co. – there remained scores of Nautilus hopefuls on the brink of despair.
So with the arrival of October comes great news for them as Patek Philippe releases a new suite of 2022 novelties, one of which is the all-new Nautilus Ref. 5811/1G. This freshly minted reference shares many similarities with its predecessor but as expected of Patek Philippe, it brings along a parade of modern technical upgrades that truly define it as a watch of the 21st century. Ref. 5711 after all is a 2006 facelift of the original Ref. 3711 of 1976.
In conceiving and producing the Ref. 5811, Patek Philippe carefully re-evaluated the core features of the Nautilus and – perfect as the watch is – the manufacture managed to find new ways to improve it whether in terms of comfort, convenience, or style. This just goes to show how deeply the manufacture reveres this iconic timepiece and how well it knows the product from inside out. All in all, Ref. 5811 is remarkably different from the former model and yet remains a Nautilus through and through.
A striking new dial
The most classic Nautilus dial is unquestionably blue but instead of Ref. 5711’s greyish blue, which is elegant but a little more muted, Patek Philippe came up with a strong and vibrant blue for Ref. 5811. Like that of many of the manufacture’s recent grand complications, this dial has a gradient effect that goes from almost black around the edges to a rich navy blue at the centre.
An extendable bracelet
In addition to the manufacture’s patented fold-over clasp, the Nautilus Ref. 5811 now comes with a new lockable adjustment system that extends the bracelet on either side of the clasp. With it you can increase the length of the bracelet by 2mm or 4mm so it always sits perfectly on the wrist wherever you go.
A case in white gold
Rather than stainless steel which is Patek Philippe’s most cultish material this new Nautilus reference is cased exclusively in white gold – for now. This obviously raises the retail price quite significantly from S$44,500 for the Ref. 5711/1A to S$92,000 for the Ref. 5811/1G. With regard to quantities and product allocation, this seems like it will alleviate the bottleneck the manufacture formerly experienced with the steel Nautilus. But realistically, it should do so only marginally.
Bigger dimensions
Ref. 5811 has also grown slightly in terms of dimensions as compared to Ref. 5711. The watch is now 41mm instead of 40mm. Whether that is too much or negligible depends entirely on the wearer’s preferences and habits. The good thing is that the watch maintains a modest height of no more than 8.2mm which is very lean for a luxury sports watch. The slender proportions extend to the bracelet as well, giving Ref. 5811 a truly stunning side profile.
Monobloc construction
With Ref. 5811, Patek Philippe moves closer to the original Nautilus Ref. 3711 than with Ref. 5711. Unlike the three-part case of the latter, the current model has a two-part construction consisting of a monobloc case plus the bezel. It is combined with a new patent-pending pull-out piece lever system that enables the winding stem to be removed from the dial side without requiring access through the back.
Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5811/1G is available at all Patek Philippe boutiques and authorised distributors worldwide.
