Last year, Patek Philippe closed the curtain on its ever-popular steel sports luxury watch, the Nautilus 5711. After a farewell tour that included various special editions to conclude its 15-year tenure, the timepiece hadn’t announced its successor…until now.
The Nautilus 5811 replaces its forerunner while increasing its case size from 40mm to 41mm and swapping in an 18k white gold case. Likewise, the blue sunburst dial gradates outward to black and bears the Nautilus’ signature horizontal pattern while giving white gold to the indices as well.
Inspired by the original Nautilus 3700 model from 1976, the 5811 takes the three-part case construction of the 5711 and makes it a two-part case, sealing the caseback shut — although the automatic movement is still visible through its sapphire crystal. The Nautilus 3700 was originally made to resemble a ship’s porthole and thus the movement could only be accessed through the front dial. Patek has improved upon this technology by granting access to the Caliber 26‑330 S C through a pull-out piece lever system on the dial side.
You can expect to see other case materials available sometime in the future. For now, the inaugural 5811 in white gold is available now through Patek Philippe’s website for $69,790.
