Here’s a quick question for you: when Patek Philippe announced it was discontinuing the wildly popular Nautilus Ref 5711, did you think they were going to see this decision through?
Everyone had their opinion at the time, but the Swiss horology brand stuck with its decision, choosing only to release a special, limited-edition model to commemorate Tiffany’s 170th anniversary in December 2021. And thereafter, silence.
Until now.
The Patek Philippe Nautilus Ref. 5711 is back, this time with Ref. 5711/1500A to differentiate it from other models. But before you grab your cards for a hurried purchase of what is clearly a unicorn in the horological world, there is a caveat: the new Nautilus Ref. 5711/1500A is a one-off piece designed for charity, and it will be auctioned off on November 25, 2024, at the Children Action Gala.
This is not the first time Patek Philippe has donated unique timepieces to the foundation dedicated to positively impacting the lives of impoverished children around the world, with over 215,000 helped to date. Since it began to support the charity in 2005, the Swiss timepiece brand has submitted some truly special pieces to be auctioned off at the foundation’s biannual gala, like the Ref. 6000T Calatrava in 2007; the Ref. 5131J Worldtimer in 2012; the Calatrava Pilot Travel Time Ref. 5524T in titanium in 2018, and, the green-dial titanium Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Ref. 5270T in 2022.
However, this is the first time the Nautilus would be making its way to the auction, and Patek Philippe has chosen an extra special, first-of-its-kind design to mark this unique event.
The Nautilus Ref. 5711/1500A is a stainless steel affair featuring a Māori-inspired, hand-engraved motif on its case, bezel, bracelet, and caseback. This is the first time Patek Philippe is adorning the Nautilus Ref. 5711 (or any sports watch for that matter) with an engraving, so this is one truly special timepiece that will definitely catch the eye of collectors all over the world.
To further sweeten the deal — as if a timepiece of this magnitude requires any sort of ‘sweetening’ — the Nautilus Ref. 5711/1500A will be accompanied by matching steel hand-engraved cufflinks with a charcoal grey sunburst centre and a black-gradient rim. These are equally just as unique as the timepiece itself since Patek Philippe ordinarily only sells gold cufflinks.
We would like to say, “Good luck getting your hands on this!”, but judging by the rarity of the piece, we would like to invite you to join us and drool over this absolutely magnificent timepiece, which is sure to break records long after its gala debut on November 25th.