dr.kol
11333
Thanks Esharp,
I am very sure that both Royal Oak and Nautilus could have been designed with a totally different construction. I also believe that the current design of Nautilus is technically as good as the original design. Probably Patek would not be happy with anything less.
It is a very personal matter but I love the way Mr. Genta wanted to construct these two watches. In 1972 and 1976 the constructions were something totally new. For sure Gerald Genta could have made a more conventional construction with the same looks but these two watches would have been very different in such a case:
New looks with conventional design. Would they have the same position as "icons" as they have today? Nobody knows.
I love Royal Oak and Nautilus because of the overall design and construction. Without the construction, Nautilus would be, at least for me, just a weird looking sporty watch.
My first regular job after the secondary school in 1972 was a deck boy onboard the pictured dry cargo vessel. This ship was built in Germany in 1959. I can still remember how I was looking from the window (=porthole) of my cabin. From inside the porthole looked like PP Nautilus and it functioned like the original design of ref. 3700. The construction of the porthole was solid and I wasn't afraid that the porthole would leak even if the sea was stormy. Perhaps that explains why I love the original design of Genta!
Best, Kari