Patek 5711/1A Review

[dddrees]

I've only owned this watch for a couple of hours, however I'll do my best to tell you a bit about this watch. I'm not real good at taking pictures so if you need you can take a look at more pictures of this watch here:

http://www.patek.com/contents/defaul...11_1A_010.html

This is the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A which was initially designed by Gerald Genta as the Nautilus 3700 and released to the public in 1976. He's the same gentleman who designed the Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak in 1970. He also designed watches for other companies to include IWC as well.

At the time when Gerald Genta designed the Royal Oak and Nautilus both Ap and Patek Phillipe did not manufacture a Stainless Steel sports watch and in fact most people questioned why a Stainless Steel spoorts watch would cost so much. In fact this is why to this day the Nautilus remains from what I understand as a watch which is sought out but made in fairly low quantities.

There are currently 17 different models of the Nautilus that Patek now manufactures.

The specifics of the 5711 are the following:

Mechanical self-winding movement with date
Caliber 324 S C
Sweep seconds hand
Black-blue dial, gold applied hour markers with luminescent coating
Screw-down crown
Sapphire-crystal case back
Water resistant to 120 m
Stainless steel
Case diameter (10-4 o’clock): 40 mm

When comparing the case this watch to the Royal Oak you can tell that the same designer created both watches.

From the short time I have owned the watch I can tell you that there is a huge difference between the way this watch wears and any other stainless steel sports watch that I have ever worn. It's much more lighter when compared to others, and it has a smaller wrist presence than most. Although it is made of all stainless steel and it is a 40 mm diameter it wears flatter due to the case being thinner and it also feels like one is wearing something more like a dress watch which is rather delecate and elegant.

You can tell the finish of the case and the bracelet is something someone did with alot of attention to detail. I have not seen anything like this previously. The bezel is finished one way where the sides of the case are finished another. The bracelet is also polished with PCLs down the center and a different look on the sides. Watchout scratches here we come, however with the small profile I doubt that I will notice them that much.

The Nautilus has ears on both sides of the case which is unique and different but it gives the watch it's sense of balance as the left side looks like the right side. The right side protects the crown and connects the top of the case. The left side I believe is where hinge on the top of the case connects to the bottom of the case.

The clasp on the Nautilus is rather small and stamped rather than machined. It uses a butterfly clasp and this seems a bit stiff. The bracelet overall is very light but I rather enjoy wearing the watch instead of the watch wearing on me. the bracelet has a nice taper which is hard to describe but it appears to be curved and not straight until the underneath where it stops tapering altogether which is kind of a neat effect.

The blue dial is said to change shade depending on lighting and angle. I've noticed that it kind of shimmers and reflects a nice light as it hits the face of the dial and the lines that run vertically across the face of the dial. I think it looks simply amazing. Supposedly this is something Patek mastered long before other companies.

The hands are just the right thickness and length and are easily recognized when glancing down at the watch. They work real well with the stick hour markers and the double marker for 12 looks pretty neat. The 5711/1A has a second hand where the older 3700 did not. This is supposedly a detractor for some as they prefer a cleaner dial. But not for me as I much rather prefer a second hand. Overall I really like how the dial looks in combination with squarish oval like bezel.

The watch has a saphire case back which allows you to see the inner workings of a masterfully finished movement. The wonderfull gold rotor with the Patek symbol is the first thing that you will notice. It's generous size window which lets you see quite a bit if you move the rotor this way and the other tosee behind it. I'm a bit old with eyes which are not as good anymore, but it's not hard to tell the movement looks pretty nice in there.

This may not be the typical Patek, but this one works for me. I've had a couple of watches on straps, but I always come back to the stainless steel watches. The Nautilus I'm sure will go with most anything from a suit to jeans and even shorts.

Finally for me with any luxury watch the history of the manufacture, their reputation, the quality, and the design is all a part of the experience for me. I haven't been a WIS for that long, but shortly after becoming one I knew a Patek Phillipe was something I aspired to experience ownership. Until today I could only experience looking at them in magazines and watch stores. So when I wear this watch I have to work hard not to smile. I don't like working that hard so I'll just keep smiling instead.

Cheers,

Dan