The storyWhy this reference matters
In 1976 Patek Philippe did something that in Geneva bordered on bad taste: it launched a steel watch costing more than plenty of gold ones. Genta drew it, by the company's own account, during the Basel fair while watching some Patek executives dine at another table. The 3700 'Jumbo' was a monocoque milled from a solid block, with a single hole for the crown stem and the bezel bolted to the case at four points. Measured across the side hinges it came to 42mm and only 7.6 tall, and it held out to 120 metres.
The advertising of the day insisted it worked equally well with a wetsuit and a dinner jacket. It worked: the enfant terrible ended up a cult object. In 2006, for the thirtieth anniversary, Patek redid the whole collection. Nearly every model moved to a three-part case, back, middle and bezel, the straight hinges were rounded off, and a sapphire case back appeared for the first time. The new 5711/1A grew a millimetre over the 1976 watch precisely because of those curvier hinges.
The reference has two lives. The 5711/1A-001 was made from 2006 to 2009 with the Geneva Seal on the movement. In 2009 Patek swapped that hallmark for its own Patek Philippe Seal and the 5711/1A-010 was born, first with the calibre 324 S C and, from 2019, with the 26-330 S C, which added hacking seconds. Patek withdrew it from the catalogue in 2021, after a farewell edition with an olive green dial.
SpecificationsThe numbers, in one table
| Brand | Patek Philippe |
|---|---|
| Family | Nautilus |
| Reference | 5711/1A-010 |
| Years made | 2009–2021 |
| Calibre | Patek Philippe 26-330 S C (324 S C hasta 2019) |
| Movement | Automatico |
| Frequency | 4 Hz (28.800 alt/h) |
| Power reserve | 35-45 horas |
| Jewels | 30 |
| Complications | Fecha · Segundero central |
| Diameter | 40 mm |
| Thickness | 8.3 mm |
| Case | Acero inoxidable |
| Crystal | Zafiro; fondo de zafiro |
| Water resistance | 120 m |
IdentificationHow to tell it apart
Separating the -001 from the -010 means looking in two places. On the movement, the hallmark: the -001 carries the Geneva Seal, the -010 the Patek Philippe Seal. On the dial, the word 'Geneve' sits lower on the first series and slightly higher on the second, and the horizontal embossed stripes are narrower on the -001.
Within the -010 there are two generations of movement. Pull the crown out to the setting position: if the seconds hand stops dead, it is the 26-330 S C, fitted from 2019; if it carries on sweeping, it is the earlier 324 S C. It is the fastest check there is and it means opening nothing.
The official measurements are a small and useful muddle. Patek publishes 40mm between 2 and 8, a 38mm bezel, 43mm between 3 and 9 including the hinges, and 8.30mm tall. The dial runs from deep blue at the centre to black at the edge, with twelve applied white gold baton markers, and the bracelet alternates brushed outer links with polished centre links.
CollectingWhat collectors check
Here it is the unpolished case that rules. The Nautilus middle case carries a strong horizontal brushing that a workshop polish erases in seconds, and the flanks of the hinges are the first area to go round. Ask for macros of the bezel edge and the hinges: if the reflection looks soft and the edge has no line to it, the watch has met the wheel. It is the single factor that most separates two examples from the same year.
The integrated bracelet is the other wear point. Hold the watch by one end and let it hang, and you will see at once whether the links have play; that stretch cannot be corrected, and replacing the bracelet on a discontinued reference is expensive. Check the folding clasp too, and the top faces of the polished centre links.
The 5711 is among the most heavily faked modern watches there is, and it is now an investment object as well, which draws still more fraud. Buy through a channel that genuinely authenticates, insist on the full set with certificate and, if in any doubt, ask Patek for an Extract from the Archives: the company issues it stating reference, calibre and date of sale.
Common questionsWhat people ask us about this reference
How many millimetres is the Nautilus 5711 really?
It depends where you measure. Patek publishes 40mm between 2 and 8, a 38mm bezel, and 43mm between 3 and 9 including the side hinges. The '40mm' everyone repeats is the measurement between 2 and 8.
What is the difference between the 5711/1A-001 and the 5711/1A-010?
The movement hallmark, plus some dial detail. The -001, made from 2006 to 2009, carries the Geneva Seal; the -010, from 2009, carries the Patek Philippe Seal, and it also changes the height of 'Geneve' on the dial and the width of the embossed stripes.
Why was the Nautilus 5711 discontinued?
Patek pulled it from the catalogue in 2021 after some fifteen years of production. Before it went there was a farewell edition with an olive green dial, the 5711/1A-014, and the Nautilus 5811 followed as its successor.
Can you dive with a Nautilus 5711?
Its official rating is 120 metres with a screw-down crown, more than enough for swimming. It is still a thin steel watch with a sapphire back and the price of a car, so nobody with any sense takes one down on a dive.
Keep readingWhere to go from here
Close relativesThe ones it gets confused with
See Patek Philippe Nautilus at auction now → What is up for sale on Catawiki today. Read the page above before you bid: half the mistakes come from not checking the reference.Confidence: alta — this page was checked against the sources below. If a detail looks wrong to you, write to us and we will fix it.