A watch no one quite understood
Imagine the mid-1970s. The atmosphere is vibrant and formal. Luxury watches are gold, thin, discreet, and all have leather straps. In other words: very classic.
Out of the blue, Patek Philippe launched something completely different when they introduced the Nautilus ref. 3700 in 1976. A steel sports watch… with an integrated bracelet.
It has a shape unlike anything else on the market. The watch's design is based on a ship's porthole, which is not the first or most obvious thing that comes to mind when considering a beautifully aesthetic high-end watch.
And the reactions were mixed. Many shook their heads, unable to understand the point of a steel watch at that price? But that was precisely the point. The Nautilus wasn't made to fit in. It was made to change the game. It was a watch that could be worn every day and still feel exclusive.
It took its time, but today it all makes sense.
A napkin and a quick sketch
The story behind the design is almost as iconic as the watch itself. Watchmaker and designer Gerald Genta sat alone in a corner of a restaurant, where he spotted the Patek Philippe team at a table on the other side of the restaurant. He picked up the napkin he had in front of him and started sketching. A few lines and an idea. The result was the Nautilus, which reportedly took Genta only five minutes to sketch.
It sounds almost too simple. But apparently, that’s how the best ideas arise.
Gerald Genta is called The "Picasso" of Watchmaking because his artistic approach to watch design revolutionized an entire industry. He considered it high art and created a new category: the modern luxury sports watch. As the first truly independent watch designer, he paved the way for iconic, high-end steel watches with bold, geometric, and functional forms.
In 1972, four years before the Nautilus, Genta designed Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak, which was also a steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet, challenging norms at the time. However, with the Nautilus, the lines became softer and more organic. The entire case and bracelet construction became less angular, yet still distinctive.
The rounded octagon, the integrated bracelet, the thin profile, and the way the watch sits on the wrist… An icon was born.
Ref. 5712 is a modern interpretation of Genta's design
In 2006, a new model was introduced, the ref. 5712, as part of Patek Philippe's celebration of the Nautilus' 30th anniversary. The watch was launched as the successor to the ref. 3712, which was the first complicated Nautilus model and was only produced from 2005 to 2006. Along with the ref. 3712, it marked the beginning of the Nautilus' journey into complications and higher horology, an area the model had not previously explored.
The blue dial choice is beautiful, but what's most remarkable is how the complications are positioned. The power reserve indicator is at 10 o'clock, the small seconds at 4 o'clock, and the combined date display with moon phase at 7 o'clock.
The layout breaks with the symmetry usually associated with the Nautilus, yet it feels harmonious. It is powered by their in-house automatic cal. 240 PS IRM C LU. It's an ultra-thin movement visible through the sapphire case back and features a beautiful finish rarely seen on sports watches. The off-center micro-rotor matches the dial's off-center layout, highlighting the thoughtful design of the watch.
After the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 was discontinued in 2021, rumors continuously circulated that the classic 5712/1A in steel would also officially be discontinued. It did in 2025, which has only made the watch even more desirable and increased its market value.
The Nautilus was created from a quick sketch on a napkin to become one of the most iconic luxury sports watches ever. The story of Gérald Genta and the Nautilus shows how visionary design can change the entire watch world.
