A new history of Nautilus is created by Patek Philippe
The Nautilus by Patek Philippe is a timepiece that needs no introduction being one of the most coveted in the world of horology the world over. With a notoriously long waitlist, the Nautilus collection has continued to evolve and progress since its debut in 1976. Last year, a slew of five sleek Nautilus Ladies new iterations, as well as an extension of the Nautilus Ref. 5726 Annual Calendar with moon-phase display were launched.
Patented by Patek Philippe in 1996, the Annual Calendar shows the day and the month in two in-line apertures at 12 o’clock and the date in an aperture at 6 o’clock. The complication cleverly considers the months of 30 and 31 days, requiring the owner of the watch to make just a single alteration per year on March 1.
To help simplify calendar adjustments is the 24-hour indicator in the lower half of the dial whereby the secondary dial housing the ultra-precise moon-phase display necessitates correction by one day only every 122 years.
Back in 2010, the Nautilus was crowned as Patek’s first steel watch to be endowed with an Annual Calendar, representing a significant crossover fusing sporty sensibility with technical sophistication for the Swiss watchmaker.
Joining the inaugural leather strap version of Ref. 5726A-001 in steel with an Annual Calendar, a moon-phase display and a 24-hour indicator were several others over the years, paired with a steel bracelet.
Unveiled in 2019, the Ref. 5726/1A-014 boasts a new elegant and au courant blue dial, sharing the colour of the original 1976 Nautilus. It replaces predecessors Ref. 5726/1A-001 and Ref. 5726/1A-010, featuring the respective black gradient and white dials, launched in 2012.
The latest dial, with horizontal embossing and gradations of blue to black at the periphery, syncs in seamless fashion with the subtle glimmer of steel, rendered in a mix of mirror-polished and satin finishes, in the case, bezel and bracelet with a fold-over clasp.
Exquisite without sacrificing legibility, the applied white-gold hour markers and hands with a luminescent coating provide indication of the hours and minutes, alongside the slim sweep seconds hand.
Water-resistant to 120m and shielding a caliber 324 S QA LU 24H/303 self-winding movement comprising 347 parts, visible through a sapphire crystal case back, the refined yet sporty case of Patek’s Ref. 5726/1A-014 with its recognisable octagonal bezel and case construction inspired by a ship’s porthole wins yet another race for the Nautilus collection, sailing ahead among the fine watchmaking fleet.
Visit patek.com to find out more.
