patekova
1834
I was quite surprised when Patek included these 50th Anniversary Nautilus watches as part of its 2026 W&W presentation. I think this was a mistake and a lost opportunity.
IMO these historically important watches have received a somewhat diminished response compared to the the reception they would have received as an exclusive release at a different time of year. Partly responsible for this reaction I believe is the creativity, beauty and mechanical wizardry of some of the other offerings, eg the automaton and 6105 G. And the unexpected Cubitus perpetual with squared movement. Also the vibrant new color choices for dials of existing models, eg for the 5270P. Certainly there will be a great demand for the 50 th Anniversary pieces and all will quickly sell, but …
That said I think these watches deserve to be recognized as a truly unpredicted and daring tribute to 50 years of Nautilus.
By eliminating both the date and the sweep seconds hand, the watches achieve a simple, clean and elegant look. Combined with using the iconic 240 movement, an already very thin watch becomes extremely thin in a way that sets it apart from its predecessors.
A platinum model in the size of the 3800. Brilliant! Yes, some 3800 came in platinum but it is uber rare. Nice touch the diamond at 9 o’clock.
Love it or not a strap model with baguette diamond indices adds variety and appeal.
Also, the micro rotor allows more of the movement to be seen. So, all in all I say Bravo!
Yes, I would have liked there to be a steel model, and yes a “limited” edition of 5,000! pieces (not so limited IMO).
So, how do you feel about each of these 3 watches? Assumining, you find any of them to be appealing, do you have a favorite?
Best, Patekova
PS credit to Patek and Hodinkee for the beautiful images
Collection
Compare Patek Philippe Ref. 5200 and 5270G-014 blue dials. See wristshots, movement details, and collector insights on size and design.
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Review
Mark in Paris reviews the Patek Philippe 5270G blue dial. Discover insights on its color, dial changes, and community debate on its design.
46 replies12331 views
I was quite surprised when Patek included these 50th Anniversary Nautilus watches as part of its 2026 W&W presentation. I think this was a mistake and a lost opportunity.
IMO these historically important watches have received a somewhat diminished response compared to the the reception they would have received as an exclusive release at a different time of year. Partly responsible for this reaction I believe is the creativ...
Definitely a possibility!
But, considering they've already committed to building 5000 precious metal Nautiluses (creating over half a billion Swiss Francs in revenue at the retail level - which will account for about 1% of all luxury watch revenue from just 3 SKUs), for them to an...
Perhaps there will be another surprise mid year drop.
Or may be they are still trying to not be the “nautilus company.” Either way the offerings are pretty amazing. I think they nailed the watches.
These Nautilus references are already going to be over 5% of the company's output.
Assuming these Nautilus models will mostly be delivered within the next twelve months; with 5000 units, that means this is already going to be more than 5% of the entire annual production in unit terms (the estimated production was around 70,000 pieces fo...
Interesting perspective as always.
What’s amazing to me is that still there aren’t any watches you can buy just walking into an AD. At least that’s been my experience (not that I’m in the market but it doesn’t hurt to ask 😎).
I think those days are long gone for the upper tier luxury brands
by design, most certainly
Watches are there! Even in the competitive market of major cities like Boston and NYC. The dealers are just supposed to make you wait for them!
Imagine a directive coming from the vendor brands... "Keep the cases empty, or put signs stating 'For Exhibition Only.'" When a client waits for something - they're much more appreciative when they get it. Also, even if there's a problem (a mechanical def...
With all the respect in the world...
I think Patek Philippe knows how to maximize profit and revenue better than you think. Might I most politely state; for you to suggest that Patek Philippe made a possible mistake, is probably a tiny little bit of overconfidence on your part. After all, th...
Thank you for sharing your detailed and well reasoned viewpoint and observations. Also, for the sensitive way in which you present them.
It will be extremely interesting to see what path Patek takes for the rest of the year and at the Milano Exhibtion.
You're most welcome! And, I for one, can totally see your perspective!
I'm a collector/enthusiast too. However, having worked in the industry too, I have a slightly different perspective and I recognize the biases that collectors have. We will definitely look forward to any future announcements! But with the thousands of pie...
What I am wondering is whether any future Nautilus watches will utilize the 240 movement/no seconds hand/no date combination, or
will it be a one off limited to the 50th Anniversary models? Any thoughts on that? To me, it makes sense on a lot of levels to limit it to the anniversary watches to keep them as something special and different, but I can definitely see a strong counter a...
That, I don't know. Hard to predict the future.
A lot of people are really happy with the 330 movement - because it hacks. And most people want a seconds hand and date. The average customer wants automatic, seconds hand (quickest way to see if a watch is alive or out of power), date complication, and w...
That's a very clean dial, without the date window and the seconds hand.
But at 5000 volume (if that's materialized), I agree that it can't be called a limited edition (unless we change the concept of "limited" in the horological world).
I thought it was 3000 pieces
Imagine your AD calling :”sir, I have a good news for you and a bad one… the anniversary piece has arrived for you, but it is on strap” 😁
Dear Patekova
I understand your feelings, but this decision to unveil the 50th Anniversary Nautilus models alongside the other new Watches & Wonders 2026 releases seems consistent with the stated intention, for several years now, to ensure that the Nautilus remains jus...
Dear Emmanuel, thank you for expressing in detail all your well reasoned points. Yes, Patek has definitely wanted not to be solely defined by Nautilus.
And while I love Nautilus, when I think of what defines Patek and the great watches it has made and continues to make, the watches that I think of are non sport models including: 1518 and its progeny, MRs, WTs, rare handcrafts, PCs, chronos, ACs and Calat...
The more I think about the 50th Nautilus release the less I like it for a number of reasons ...
1) I certainly do not want the cheap and awful looking engraved rotor and even less so on a 100k watch. Ruins the beautiful 240 movement in my eyes. 2) No date and no seconds looks great but the date on the 5711 has never bothered me and I use it a lot. 3...
Thank you for expressing your detailed reaction to the 50th anniversary watches. While I expect the desire and demand to be huge, I also think there will be a large group
who like you for similar and/or other reasons will be less than enthusiastic.
Hi Patekova, I am smitten with these 3 pieces !
The clean dial without date and seconds is appealing to me. Before W&W, ADs and people who know Patek well I spoke to all guessed that the 50th pieces would be announced separately from W&W. Having gone to W&W 2026, I got the sense that the reason to laun...
Indeed interesting
interesting threads with great minds. Personally I’m confused why we haven’t seen a special or “limited” edition farewell to the well-loved 5712/1A (perhaps a different dial color). Following past patterns, that should’ve been followed by the reveal of a ...
My personal experience is that trying to predict what Patek will do is a fool’s errand. Further, trying to predict what they won’t do is similar. So, I stopped trying. They are wise
enough to keep us guessing and often leave us quite surprised. I think your idea if realized would be a wonderful thing. 5712/1A was introduced 20 years ago in 2006 for the 30th anniversary of Nautilus. While they are in general moving away from steel Nau...
Great collection for the 50th
Love the use of the 240, removal of the date and the resulting super slim piece. I’m not surprised it was announced at W&W. The pt piece is my choice. 🥃
Thanks for sharing your viewpoint. If you don’t already know it, you might be interested to know that coming up in May at Phillips Geneva auction.
lot 216 is an extremely rare 3800 in platinum with no diamonds