One of Patek Philippe’s 2018 Baselworld highlights was undoubtedly the new Nautilus 5740/1G, representing the first time a perpetual calendar has been offered in the collection.
To give a little background, right now, the Nautilus collection is in such high demand that even the most basic 5711 models are commanding prices well over retail. And so, with the introduction of the first perpetual calendar version, it’s safe to say these will be highly coveted by Patek collectors, and are likely all already spoken for at the retail level.
At 40 mm x 8.42 mm, the 18K white gold case has the same diameter of the existing men’s Nautilus timepieces, but considering it has a complicated movement inside, you would think it would be much thicker. Yet, at 8.42 mm it’s only 0.12 mm thicker than the time only model (Ref. 5711). This is, of course, thanks to the ultra-thin caliber 240Q powering the watch. Used in over a dozen Patek references, at 3.88 mm in thickness, the 22K gold micro-rotor driven movement is a veritable work of art and a pillar movement for the brand.
The dial is endowed with luminescent white gold applied hour markers and matching hour and minute hands. The subdials display the day, date, and month – with 24-hour day/night, moonphase, and leap year indications in the center of each, respectively.
It’s worth noting that the gorgeous new blue sunburst dial, which is produced in the Cadrans Flückiger SA dial factory in Saint-Imier (owned by Patek Philippe since 2004), is a lighter, more vibrant shade of blue than the original 5711, like the dials seen on the 40th Anniversary limited edition Nautilus timepieces.
Everything from the well-proportioned layout of the sunburst dial to the perfectly satin-brushed and polished white gold case, to the svelte Haute horology movement, is so good, I really cannot think of a caveat other than the price. And even that, can be justified by the all but guaranteed resale value.
The Nautilus 5740/1G Perpetual Calendar (Ref. 5740/1G-001) retails for $119,070.
Photos by Patek Philippe.
