The new 18-karat white gold Patek Philippe Ref. 5811 Nautilus watch retails for $69,785.
Earlier this year, esteemed watch brand Patek Philippe announced that it was going to be phasing out its beloved Ref. 5711 Nautilus watch. Then it made a special edition version with a rare olive-green dial version. Then it unveiled, in cooperation with Tiffany, a version with a Tiffany Blue dial. Fan followers wondered if it was really the end of the 5711, or if we would continue to be treated to the almost-impossible-to-get special editions. Well, the answer is in. Today, Patek Philippe announces the official retirement of the Ref. 5711 and unveils its newest counterpart: Ref. 5811 Nautilus.
Meet the Patek Philippe Ref. 5811 Nautilus
The new Patek Philippe Ref. 5811 Nautilus boasts blue luminous glow.
The newest Patek Philippe Reference 5811/1G-001 watch is a reinterpreted evolution of the legendary sport watch that was first released to the world in 1976. It is crafted in 18-karat white gold with a white gold bracelet and a blue horizontal sunburst gradient dial that morphs from blue in the center to midnight blue/black at the edges. The hour markers and baton hands are filled with a white luminescent coating that glows bluish/green in the dark for vibrant, and somewhat unexpected, appeal.
The dial of the new Patek Philippe Ref. 5811 Nautilus is blue horizontal sunburst in gradient hues.
The newest watch, which is water resistant to 120 meters, is slightly larger than its 40mm Ref. 5711 sibling, in that it measures 41mm in diameter. The nuances don’t end there. The new watch has a two-part case that recalls the original model from 1976, boasts patented fold-over clasp with a new locking closure/adjustment system.
Side view of the Patek Philippe Ref. 5811 Nautilus with new clasp and lock system and new lever system.
Offering hours, minutes, sweep seconds and date indication, the Ref. 5811/1G is powered by the in-house-made self-winding Caliber 26-330 S C movement that consists of 212 parts, each finely finished to Patek Philippe’s exacting standards. A portion of the movement can be seen via the transparent sapphire case back. In addition to equipping this movement with a stop seconds device to enable the wearer to set the time down to the exact second, Patek Philippe adds a 21-karaat yellow gold winding rotor and endows the watch with 35 to 45 hours of power reserve. It retails for $69,785.
Impressions of the new Patek Philippe Ref. 5811 Nautilus
The gold rotor and finely finished movement of the Patek Philippe Ref. 5811 Nautilus is visible via a sapphire case back.
The look of the Ref. 5811, while enlarged slightly and slimmed somewhat, is, nonetheless, classic nautilus. The dial color – blue – is a safe choice. The metal material – noble white gold – is a Patek Philippe staple. The strict codes of excellence are maintained and, in some instances (like with the new winding system and patented locking clasp), exceeded. Could we expect anything less from this venerable brand? When evolving an icon, and phasing out a famous Reference number, Patek Philippe could hardly do it with an outrageous statement. No orange dials here. No ceramic case here. Just pure next-generation Nautilus with a new Reference 5811 to go another 46 years or more into the future.
To further its commitment to the new, highly anticipated Reference 5811, as the brand sometimes does, Patek Philippe unveils a set of white gold cufflinks with sunburst blue center.
(This article by Roberta Naas first appeared on her column on Forbes.com.)
