Designed by Gerald Genta and originally introduced to the market in 1976, the Patek Philippe Nautilus represented a radical departure from the kind of watches the company was known for at the time. Indeed, up until then, Patek was primarily known for ultra-slim dress watches, but the Nautilus represented change and proved to be a huge hit.

It is difficult to talk about the Nautilus without mentioning the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, which helped to create a whole new category of luxury watches in stainless steel. Nevertheless, the Nautilus was a surprising next step even from that point, because it was a stainless steel sports watch, with a generous case size.

Nautilus Image Refreshing

Throughout its long history, Patek has been widely considered to be a conservative brand, which relies on gradual evolution, rather than complete revolution. Unlike brands like Rolex, Patek Philippe have not historically engaged in celebrity endorsement deals, meaning any overhauls in image rely more heavily on the design of the actual watches.

For this reason, the original Nautilus, officially called the Reference 3700/1, was intentionally revolutionary, because Patek were aiming to overhaul the brand image somewhat, in order to bring it into the modern age. Nevertheless, the timepiece, which was nicknamed ‘Jumbo’ because of its 42mm case, retained just enough Patek tradition.

Rising Above with Technical Excellence

A long-standing rumor states that Gerald Genta designed the Nautilus by drawing a quick sketch at dinner, while surrounded by Patek executives. From a visual perspective, the timepiece was partially inspired by the portholes seen on transatlantic liners and Genta has been quoted as saying: “It was a sketch that I completed in five minutes.”

In addition to its distinctive appearance, the Nautilus collection allowed Patek Philippe to show off their technological mastery. As well as features like a date display window, one of the biggest achievements was a design that divided water pressure equally, resulting in water resistance for up to 120 meters.

Nautilus’ Earlier Models

Despite the lofty ambitions of the Nautilus, it did not immediately earn the iconic status the collection enjoys today and the early 1980s saw the introduction of several new versions, in order to appeal to a broader market. In particular, Patek experimented with reducing the case size, as 42mm was considered large at the time.

The ladies’ Nautilus, the Ref. 4700, was released in 1980 and that was followed up by the launch of a mid-size version, the Ref. 3800/1A, which had a 37.5mm case instead. However, the overall design remained roughly the same until 1998, when the Ref. 3710/1A featured Roman numeral dial markers and a power reserve indicator.

Into the 21st Century

In 2005, Patek made their biggest overhaul to the Nautilus collection with the release of the Ref. 3712, which was dubbed a ‘triple complication’ model. Unlike previous Nautilus designs, it featured an analogue date display, as well as power reserve and moon phase indicators. However, it was discontinued after just one year.

The following year marked the 30th anniversary  of the original and Patek marked the occasion by releasing a new generation of Nautilus timepieces. The Ref. 5711/1A featured a larger 43mm case and an updated dial with blue overtones, while several novelty versions were also added, including the Chronograph Ref. 5980.

40th Anniversary Edition of the Nautilus

Some notable additions to the Nautilus collection have been made in the years since, including the release of a white dial version in 2012. Subsequently, the Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph Ref. 5990/1A was unveiled in 2014, introducing a dual time function to the collection for the first time.

This year marks the the Nautilus’ 40th anniversary and it is now firmly established as one of the most prestigious sports watches on the market. Although the brand were tight-lipped at this year’s Baselworld, a 40th anniversary collection will be released later this year, once again reinvigorating the iconic timepiece.

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