Review of the Legendary Blue Dial Steel Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711

There may be no other watch with as much prestige, popularity, and subtle panache as the blue dial stainless steel Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711. Even though it is not one of Patek’s most complicated or expensive timepieces, it is the most coveted watch in their entire catalog. The Patek Nautilus 5711/1A, which is the simplest of all Nautilus models, is the status symbol among modern elite businessmen and celebrities alike.

In a complex world, sometimes simple, sophisticated beauty is all we need. The Nautilus provides that in an unparalleled manner.

HISTORY OF THE PATEK PHILIPPE NAUTILUS

The history of the Patek Philippe Nautilus dates back to the 1970s and it is historically linked with another highly celebrated timepiece of the modern era, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. 

In 1972, the extremely talented and famous designer Gerald Genta recharged the Audemars Piguet brand with the creation of the Royal Oak. It was the first stainless steel watch to be marketed as a luxury timepiece. It became a huge success, completely redefining the luxury sports watch category as we know it and propelling AP to the top of the watch “food” chain. 

Aware of AP’s success with the Royal Oak, Patek Philippe concluded it was time for them to develop an exclusive high-end sports watch as well. This would be their first sports watch after a very long archive of highly complicated fine dress watches.

Patek Philippe envisioned a watch that would refresh their brand image while still conserving their proud tradition. The marketing strategy was to target elite businessmen of new generations. 

That vision came to life thanks to none other than Gerald Genta…

The Patek Nautilus 

At BaselWorld in 1975, Gerald Genta was sitting in a hotel restaurant nearby a few Patek associates. He asked the waiter to grab him a pencil and a paper because he wanted to design something. In a matter of 5 minutes, while observing the people from Patek eating, he sketched a rough design of what would ultimately become the stainless steel Nautilus. 

It goes without saying, Patek Philippe loved what Gerald Genta came up with. 

He did it again. 

Gerald Genta created a watch that would go on to be one of the most sought after and perennially popular sports watches.

Patek Philippe Nautilus 3700/1

The first Nautilus was launched in 1976. It was the Patek Philippe Nautilus 3700/1. At the time, the stainless steel luxury sports watch cost as much as an 18k gold Patek Philippe watch. Bold move by Patek Philippe. But it worked. Big time. 

Inspiration for the Aesthetics of the Patek Philippe Nautilus 

The design of the Nautilus commandeered the shape of a porthole of a transatlantic ocean liner. It’s characterized by a wide octagonal bezel and ‘ears’ on both sides of the case, bringing to mind the large hinges of the watertight windows. The case design, which was patented before its launch, was formed by a solid caseback, middle-case monobloc, and a distinct ergonomic bezel secured by four lateral screws to guarantee 120 meters of water resistance.

As for the bracelet and folding clasp, it was unlike anything anyone had ever seen. Beautifully refined and the perfect combination of jewelry-esque and sporty-robustness. The bracelet of the Nautilus integrates with the case so perfectly that the watch has an almost robotic, machine-like appearance. 

The case and bracelet of the original Nautilus was made from nickel-chrome-molybdenum steel. The same steel used in the construction of tanks in World War II. It was considered the highest standard at that time. It can handle extreme temperatures and pressure, plus it has the great advantage of being lighter than normal steel. 

Then there’s the black dial with its simple yet graceful design. The horizontally embossed lines were made to resemble that of a teak wood boat deck. 

When it comes to the dial, there’s not too much going on but it is still so attractive with its horizontally embossed lines and white gold indices and hands. In fact, that’s pretty much the entire story of the Nautilus, simple yet sophisticated. Modern yet traditional. Understated yet extremely desirable. 

Now, more than 40 years later, the overall aesthetic of the original Nautilus remains untouched. Its heritage is fully intact. The Patek Philippe Nautilus is arguably the most popular and desirable luxury sports watch ever made. 

PATEK PHILIPPE NAUTILUS 5711

In 2006, in honor of the Nautilus’ 30th anniversary, Patek Philippe introduced the newest generation of the Nautilus, the 5711s.

The watch here is the Patek Nautilus 5711/1A. It has the blue dial, which is easily the most desirable dial of them all.

The design of the 5711 is clearly still the Gerald Genta creation that it has always been, but there are some slight changes. So, let’s go down the line, starting with the dial.

Blue Gradient Dial (The Most Coveted Nautilus Dial)

The blue dial of the 5711/1A Nautilus is more gradient than past models. It is very pronounced. The color goes from a silvery blue at the center to a dark navy at the periphery. With the change of light and flicker of the wrist, you can see the blue color shimmering. 

Besides that, Patek also added a central sweep seconds hand and they moved the Patek Philippe logo on the dial closer to the indices at 12 o’clock.

Everything else is untouched – The horizontally embossed lines, the white gold hands and hour markers filled with green lume, and the small date window at the 3 o’clock. 

Case & Bezel

The unique porthole-shaped case of the 5711 is larger than the original by 1mm. It is 40mm from the 10 to 4.

However, if you measure from the ears, it is around 43mm. Nevertheless, it wears true to its 40mm case diameter. 

As for thickness, it is 8.3mm. So, with the sloping curvaceous octagonal bezel, it can slide under any cuff or sleeve with ease. It is a very sleek watch.

The profile of the ears were altered ever so slightly as well. They have more curvature now, which unifies better with the bezel. Another thing to note is the increase in the size of the screw-down crown. It is not a huge change, but it is somewhat noticeable. 

One of the biggest changes is the 5711 has a new three-part case. The case back is now a separate component and it features a sapphire crystal to display the gorgeous movement…We will get back to the movement in a moment. 

Bracelet & Clasp

While you can’t change what’s already perfect, there were a couple updates to the bracelet and clasp. The newer bracelet’s mirror polished center links are more square than before. Moreover, Patek Philippe introduced a more comfortable folding clasp with the 5711/1A. 

The claps is high polished with a very low profile comparing to bracelets with a clamshell clasp. This provides minimal vulnerability to desk diving. 

Overall, the bracelet is as seamless as it gets. They say Gerald Genta is a master bracelet designer. The Patek Philippe Nautilus makes this statement obvious. It truly looks like it is one with the case. From the lugs all the way down to the clasp, you can see, but not feel the taper in the bracelet. The tolerances are flawless. This even goes for the gaps between the links. The bracelet can breath but the size of the spacing will never cause pinching of skin or pulling of hair. 

324 SC Movement

Flip the watch over and the sapphire caseback displays the Caliber 324 SC. While Patek used to use ETA movements from other manufacturers (a common practice back in the day even for the Holy Trinity of Watches), for the past couple decades they’ve brought everything in house. 

The Caliber 324 SC is a self-winding movement highlighting a few Patek Philippe innovations, such as the four-spoke Gyromax balance wheel and the Spiromax balance-spring in Silinvar.

The movement maintains oscillations at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour and it has 48 hours of power reserve. 

Being that it is a sapphire caseback, you can finally see just how beautiful the Nautilus’ movement is. It is hand-finished with extreme care, like the watch as a whole, and to be quite frank, it is beyond reproach. It has a visible central rotor made of 21K gold, Côtes de Genève, circular graining, bevelled steel parts and bridges, and, of course, it bears the Patek Philippe seal to let you know this is made solely by Patek Philippe. 

Satin & Polished Finishing

As always, the Patek Nautilus features starkly contrasting, beautifully brazen satin and high polished finishing on the case and bracelet. Just look at the pics and you can see how magnificent the finishing is.

Although this satin and polish combo has been common practice of Patek and other luxury sports watch brands for a very long time, the real inspiration was to make the finishing evocative of the metal hardware on a yacht deck…the name of the watch is the “Nautilus” for a reason..

All in all, the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 maintains all the original DNA of the Nautilus 3700, but with a few advancements. The 5711/1A is more than just an elegant, modern, gorgeous steel sports watch. It is an icon. A status symbol. The history and the aesthetics make collectors crave it and this specific model has been on an upward trajectory since day one. 

Only the lucky few will have a blue dial steel Nautilus. It a watch with demand that far exceeds the supply. 

WHY IS THE STEEL PATEK PHILIPPE NAUTILUS SO VALUABLE & POPULAR?

The popularity and value of the Patek Phillips Nautilus 5711/1A boils down to a several factors – prestige, versatility, history, resale value, and rarity. To better understand, let’s discuss each point in detail.

Prestige

If you know anything about watches then you know that Patek Philippe is at the apex of the watch industry. The brand is part of the Holy Trinity of Watches, making it one of the most prestigious brands in the world. In fact, most would argue it is the top brand, and among the best brands in the entire luxury industry. 

At the same time, Patek is also traditionally understated, which makes their watches appeal to all generations. Moreover, it makes them a little more special in that they are not as recognizable as a brand like Rolex. 

Versatility

If you could only own one watch, the blue dial Patek Philippe Nautilus would be it. Most other watches could be considered like one night stands, but the Nautilus is the one you want to be with forever.

The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A is a watch you can wear on any occasion. It has the elegance, refinement, and sleek look of a dress watch, but it is undoubtedly sporty with its steel construction, porthole case, and robust durability. You could wear the Nautilus 5711 to the beach and for a dive just as well as you could for a casual lunch or formal dinner. In any situation, your wrist will look fantastic. 

The versatility of the Nautilus is a big reason it is beloved by celebrities, athletes, and business women and men alike. 

History

The 5711 Nautilus is the successor to the original Nautilus. A watch that historically changed the trajectory of the Patek Philippe brand. It didn’t just put them in the luxury sports watch category, it put them on top. 

The significance of the Patek Nautilus only continues to climb. A huge part of this is the low production numbers combined with the high demand. The scarcity only makes the watch more relevant, as everyone wants it, but not everyone can get their hands on one. 

Resale Value 

Most people don’t buy watches with resale value in mind. At least not Patek Philippe’s market. These are wealthy people who buy the watch without worrying about future value. Nevertheless, the watch has incredible resale value. 

While the Patek brand as a whole is not comparable to Rolex (the brand with the best resale value), the Nautilus has one of the best resale value of any watch in the world. To put it in perspective, a new Nautilus 5711 in 2006 cost $18,000 MSRP, and today that watch could sell on the secondary market for around $70,000. 

The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 is among the ranks of the steel Daytona and the Rolex Pepsi. 

Rarity

Patek Philippe is a genius with the supply and demand. They’ve made it so their watches are extremely coveted, but they only produce a limited amount. 

Patek produces 50,000 watches annually. Other big name brands produce around 1 million per year, just to give you an idea of how few timepieces Patek makes in comparison. 

Besides keeping the watches highly sought after by making them difficult to attain, Patek crafts everything by hand. A single watch, even their most basic, takes up to nine months to finish. 

All in all, when it comes to the luxury watch market, the rarer a prestigious watch is and the fewer people who have it, the more collectible it becomes. People want what they can’t have, it’s a simple as that. And if and when they finally get it, they are sure to cherish it like nothing else. 

HOW DO I GET A PATEK PHILIPPE 5711/1A?

There are two ways to get a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A, except one of the ways is virtually impossible unless you have some good connections with an AD. Let’s talk about the latter first…

If you want to buy a brand new Patek Philippe 5711/1A , you need to go to an authorized dealer. However, unless you’ve spent a lot of money at that store (and by a lot, we mean A LOT), you will be put on a waiting list, which ranges from a couple years to as much as eight years. The reality is only select people who spend a lot of money with any given AD will have access to a new steel blue dial Patek Nautilus 5711. If not, it’ll be virtually impossible to get your hands on one. And so, your only other option is the secondary market.

For those who are not willing to wait or spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on jewelry or other watches from an authorized dealer, you can find the stainless steel blue dial Nautilus on the secondhand market, but expect to pay a premium. Unlike buying one new from an AD, you can find one on the secondary market by searching around a little. Unfortunately, finding a trustworthy second hand seller is another story.

That said, if you do your due diligence and ask around, you should feel confident with an independent seller. Just make sure you see the original paperwork from Patek and ask them when was the last time the watch was serviced. Get all the information you can. Any good second hand seller will be able to answer all your questions and give you the necessary documents. At Diamonds By Raymond Lee in Boca Raton, we only sell perfect condition pre-owned Patek Philippe Nautilus watches and we have all the necessary paperwork.

HOW MUCH IS A PATEK PHILIPPE 5711?

The price for the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 in steel with a blue dial has continually risen both at MSRP and on the secondary market. When it was first released in 2006, it was around $18,000 MSRP. A few years later, they brought it up to around $25,000. Then, recently it became $30,000. Although AD’s prices vary, that’s Pateks suggested retail price.

With the increase in the retail price, the watch only became more sought after. Impressive to say the least.

Now, the secondhand market has the same story but a different price. On the second hand market, you are paying a hefty premium for the Nautilus 5711/1A. The price has always been about 100%-%120 more than MSRP. Right now, the average price for a good condition pre-owned Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A is $70,000-$80,000.

PATEK PHILIPPE NAUTILUS BLUE DIAL 5711/1A IN BOCA RATON

At Diamonds By Raymond Lee in Boca Raton have recently acquired a steel Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 blue dial watch. The watch is in great condition and we have all of the original paperwork.

If you’d like to inquire about this Nautilus 5711/1A, please contact us.