Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711: When A Watch Becomes Bigger Than Its Brand: Patek 5711 Discontinued

Tim Mosso's "Watches Tonight" tackles the challenge of luxury watch models that become bigger than the watch brands that birthed them. Today's show considers the case of the 2021 Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 green dial -- the last of the Nautilus 5711 series. Why is Patek Philippe's most recognizable watch being discontinued? Thierry Stern, owner and chief of Patek was clear; one watch cannot overshadow the brand itself. Tonight, Tim considers the case of the Nautilus, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, the Tudor Heritage Black Bay, and other iconic watches that dominate public awareness of their parent brands. The Patek Philippe Nautilus 3700 was created in 1976 by designer Gerald Genta. Launched two years after Genta's own AP Royal Oak and the same year as his IWC Ingenieur SL (1832), the Nautilus didn't immediately advance to prominence and runaway success. Although several full size and mid-size Nautilus models were a constant feature in the catalog, Patek Philippe collectors largely looked elsewhere from 1976 to 2006. That year, Patek launched the 30th anniversary Nautilus, the 5711. This was a landmark model, but watch buyers didn't immediately grow infatuated. In fact, the current watch collector obsession with the Nautilus 5711 didn't emerge until 2018. As recently as 2015 and 2016, the Patek Philippe 5711 could be purchased from dealer stock or bought used for under $30,000. By 2019, that had changed; by 2020, the Nautilus had become a fixation -- and in the view of Pa