Yes it’s true the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A has now been discontinued
At the start of January It was that time of year again where the pre-watch fair (but not this year) rumour mill starts up. And this year there was a really big story doing the rounds. Friends of friends are telling their watch friends that the revered Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 is going to be discontinued some time this year.
They read about it on social media, where else? And whilst it may seem incredible that Patek would stop making one of their most popular watches - maybe the most popular watch on the market right now - Well it seems there was indeed some fire beneath the smoke and fog of rumour surrounding the watch.
All the rumours were making people looking to buy a Nautilus 5711 keener than ever, and giving sellers pause for thought, along with a great opportunity.
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What else might have prompted these rumours?
What better way than by stopping production and launching a new model?
What was the evidence that the 5711/1A might be dropped from Patek’s line-up?
Well, firstly, there’s the fact that late 2019’s gossip that the white dialled version of the Nautilus 5711 was going to be discontinued in 2020 proved to be… completely true. Then there’s the fact that Patek Philippe’s CEO Thierry Stern is on record as saying that if he could stop the production of the reference 5711, he would (if he was feeling really courageous). It seems that he feels it’s seriously time to think about moving on to something else.
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Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711
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What else might have prompted these rumours or even made Patek call time on it? Could the 5711 have reached its peak in popularity?
But yes, we can now confirm the rumours were true so Let’s take a moment to remind ourselves of what makes this particular watch so special, sought after and collected. The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 is the brand’s modern vision of the steel luxury sports watch on an integrated bracelet.
It’s a descendant of the reference 3700 introduced in 1976 - a watch born of the brilliant mind of Gerald Genta. His genius for case and bracelet design, which is still very much in evidence in the modern 5711, created a super-comfortable watch that defined, if not practically invented, a new type of watch; the luxury sports watch.
Are Patek somehow wanting to keep clients happy by avoiding having buyers and would-be owners of the 5711 lose interest?
The modern version of his watch is powered by Patek’s self-winding manufacture caliber 324 SC (for Seconde Centrale). For an automatic movement it’s amazingly thin, measuring just 3.5mm in depth and visible through the exhibition caseback. It’s also finished beautifully too, as you’d expect on a Patek movement. 213 parts go into it, with six finely finished bridges and 29 jewels. There’s also Patek Philippe’s in-house Gyromax balance wheel and the Spiromax balance spring to nerd over. And a central rotor made in 21K gold, emblazoned with the lovely Patek seal.
One thing to bear in mind when you’re buying a Nautilus 5711 is its modest power reserve of about 45 hours. That’s about the only nit-picking point one could level at the watch. Could Patek be thinking of replacing the 5711 with an upgraded model, built around a new movement that gives a little more in this department? They could be. When you look around, other company’s offerings in the luxury sports watch niche have arguably raised the bar on some levels of performance.
Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711
Today the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 retails for about £23,000, but acquiring a new one at retail requires the patience of a saint (expect an almost decade-long waiting list) which of course is now closed. Prices have moved up and up on the pre-owned market, reaching new heights of about £65,000+ recently.
What better way than by stopping production and launching a new model?
Back to the rumour mill and Philip Stern. He’s been heard to say that whilst PP don’t discuss production quantities they clearly don’t make enough 5711s, estimating that production is only meeting about 10 percent of the demand. He also said it is going to stay that way.
Read into that what you will. There have now been official confirmations from Patek that the Nautilus 5711/1A has been discontinued. So, If you’re one of the lucky people who own a Patek Philippe 5711 no doubt you’ll be over the moon, If you were on the waiting list, well…
But will there be a predecessor? tomorrow, next month, who knows? For the time being it seems that all we know is that production has stopped. Whether you’re selling a Nautilus 5711 or looking to buy one, there’s tremendous value and opportunity to enjoy in a buoyant market.
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