Nautilus 5711

Overview

The Nautilus is Patek Philippe's integrated-bracelet sports watch, introduced in 1976 and defined by a rounded-octagonal bezel, a horizontally embossed dial, and a case-and-bracelet profile designed as a single continuous form. The 5711 is the generation most collectors picture when the model is named — a 40mm steel watch produced from 2006 until it was withdrawn from the collection in 2021.

History & Context

The original Nautilus, reference 3700/1A, was designed by Gérald Genta and launched in 1976, four years after his Royal Oak for Audemars Piguet. Its case construction — a two-part design with lateral hinge-like projections either side of the bezel — is commonly described as echoing a ship's porthole, and the model's marketing at launch leaned on that maritime association. That account is design lineage rather than documented engineering intent, and is best read as such.

Its significance sits in the same shift as the Royal Oak: a traditional high-watchmaking house producing a steel sports watch positioned above much of its own gold dress-watch catalogue. The 5711 succeeded the 3711 in 2006, marking the line's thirtieth anniversary, and carried the design into the modern collection at a slightly smaller 40mm.

References & Variants

The best-known modern references are 5711/1A-010 with a blue dial and, introduced in 2021 shortly before the reference was retired, 5711/1A-014 with an olive green dial. The line also extends across precious metals and complicated variants — chronograph, annual calendar, and moon-phase executions among them — sold under separate reference numbers. The list above is representative rather than exhaustive.

The 5711 was withdrawn in 2021 and succeeded in the collection by the 5811, which moved to a slightly larger case in white gold.

Configuration differences that matter to collectors are mostly dial colour, metal, and whether the example belongs to earlier or later 5711 production, since the movement changed during the reference's run.

Case, Movement & Materials

The 5711 case measures 40mm across, in a flat, wide profile with a rounded-octagonal bezel and an integrated bracelet that tapers sharply toward the clasp. Later production is powered by the automatic Calibre 26-330 S C, which replaced the Calibre 324 S C across the remaining Nautilus references in 2019. Both are self-winding centre-seconds movements with a date, running at 28,800 vibrations per hour with a power reserve of between 35 and 45 hours. The 26-330 S C added a stop-seconds function, allowing the watch to be set precisely — the practical difference between the two calibres for an owner.

Buying Considerations

The 5711 is among the most closely watched references in the modern market, and that attention has two practical consequences for a buyer. The first is that configuration detail — dial colour, production period, metal — changes what a specific example is, so identifying precisely which 5711 is in front of you matters more than with a model that varied little. The second is that heavily-discussed references attract a correspondingly high volume of misrepresented examples, which makes documentation and physical consistency review more important, not less.

Sanad Index does not publish price guidance or market valuations. Where value is discussed, see how pre-owned watch pricing actually works for the mechanics rather than figures.

Ownership Considerations

The Nautilus is a thin, wide watch, and its case and integrated bracelet are finished with alternating brushed and polished surfaces that show handling. Bracelet sizing is done through removable links, and because the bracelet is integral to the design, its condition is part of the watch's condition rather than a separately replaceable component in the way a strap would be.

Box & Papers Guidance

Original box, certificate of origin, and any accompanying documentation each support different and limited facts about an individual watch's history — none of them, alone or together, establishes authenticity. See what box and papers actually prove for the full treatment.

Service-History Considerations

Service records for a Nautilus are worth reading closely for what was replaced rather than only for the fact that service occurred — bracelet, bezel, gaskets, and dial or hand components each carry different implications for originality. How to read a service history covers how to interpret these records as evidence rather than as reassurance.