Patek Philippe Nautilus guide: references, the 5711 and what to check

The original Nautilus

The 3700/1A is 42 mm wide including the hinges, and Patek says it earned the nickname Jumbo for being so large in its time. The original reference 3700 stayed in Patek's collection until 1990.

The steel 5711

Reference 5711/1A launched in 2006, for the Nautilus's 30th anniversary. It is 40 mm in diameter, 43 mm across including the hinges, in steel, and its movement changed over its life: calibre 315 SC at launch, 324 S C by 2017 and 26-330 S C since 2019.

Patek confirmed in January 2021 that the steel 5711 was being discontinued, and its press release of 7 April 2021 states that 2021 is the last production year of the 5711/1A. In April 2021 Patek announced two more versions: the 5711/1A-014 with an olive green dial and the 5711/1300A-001, in steel with a bezel set with 32 baguette diamonds. Patek states no quantities for either.

A further version, the 5711/1A-018 made with Tiffany & Co. and announced in December 2021, was produced in 170 units and was available exclusively in the Tiffany boutiques in New York, Beverly Hills and San Francisco.

Patek said 2021 would be the last production year, so a steel 5711 was made in 2021 or earlier, but its papers can carry a later sale date.

The 5811

Reference 5811/1G-001 was introduced in October 2022. It is in white gold, 41 mm by 8.2 mm, with a two-part case and calibre 26-330 S C. Patek calls it the successor of the legendary 5711 and says the case has grown slightly from 40 to 41 mm.

In 2026, for the Nautilus's 50th anniversary, Patek added limited editions with the ultra-thin calibre 240, including the 5610/1P-001 in platinum (38 mm, 2,000 pieces) and the 5810/1G-001 in white gold (41 mm, 2,000 pieces).

The other Nautilus references

The Nautilus is also made with complications: the 5712 (moon phase, date and power reserve), launched in 2006; the 5726 (annual calendar and moon phase), launched in 2010 on a strap and in 2012 on the bracelet; the 5980 (flyback chronograph), launched in 2006; and the 5990 (Travel Time chronograph), launched in March 2014.

Reading a Patek reference

The letters at the end of a Patek reference give the case metal, in Patek's own key: A for acier (steel), J for jaune (yellow gold), G for gris (white gold), R for rose (rose gold) and P for platine (platinum). So 5711/1A is steel and 5811/1G is white gold.

The number after the dash separates versions of the same reference. Patek's releases show it distinguishing the dial: the 5711/1A-011 has a silver-white dial and the 5711/1A-014 an olive green one. We have not found a Patek explanation of it, so ask for the full reference with its dash number.

Papers: the Certificate of Origin and the Extract

Patek describes the Certificate of Origin as like a birth certificate delivered with every new watch: it gives the movement, case and reference numbers, serves as a warranty and is never re-issued.

For a watch first sold more than ten years ago, Patek offers an Extract from the Archives, which it describes as a partial transcript from its archives about that particular watch.

Nautilus or Aquanaut

The two are often confused. Both have an octagonal bezel, but the Nautilus has hinges at the sides of the case, like a ship's porthole, and the Aquanaut has none.

The 1976 original had a two-part case, most Nautilus models from 2006 to 2021, including the 5711, have a three-part case, and the 5811 returned to two parts. The Aquanaut, presented at Basel in 1997 as the steel 5060A, has a three-part case.

What to check when you buy one

• The case and bracelet. Look at the transitions between the brushed and the polished surfaces: polishing blurs them and softens the edges. Check the bracelet for stretch and the clasp for wear.
• The dial. The print and the markers should be crisp and the finish even.
• The reference and the year. Match them: the papers of a 5811/1G cannot be dated before October 2022, nor those of an olive green 5711/1A-014 before April 2021.
• The papers. Ask for the Certificate of Origin and check that the reference and the numbers on it match the watch.

Our guide to telling a genuine watch from a copy covers what no single test can prove, and our guide to box, papers and condition explains how we describe a watch.