Celebrating an alliance spanning 170 years, Patek Philippe and Tiffany & Co. have released a limited-edition Nautilus ref. 5711. In what looks to be the coveted steel sports watch’s last hurrah, the Tiffany & Co. x Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-018 sees the iconic horizontally embossed dial take on the signature shade of Tiffany Blue.
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Earlier this year, it was announced that the Nautilus ref. 5711, initially introduced in 2006, would be discontinued in 2022. The news led to many an upset multimillionaire, with horology fans worldwide scrambling to buy up the remaining timepieces, regardless of the cost; despite their retail price of $45,000 AUD, pre-owned Nautilus ref 5711 watches often sell for up to (and even over) 10 times that cost. With the Tiffany & Co. x Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5711 marking the final iteration of the timepiece, the scarcity is further amplified; just 170 units are available.
Patek Philippe and Tiffany & Co. share an illustrious history, with the brands being founded within two years of each other, in 1839 and 1837 respectively. With a shared passion for artisanal skill and the pursuit of perfection in mind, the Genevan watch manufacturer and the New York jeweller first forged an agreement in 1851, making the latter the first retailer for Patek Philippe timepieces in the US market. At the time, Antoine Norbert de Patek reasserted the special nature of the relationship and paid a visit to Charles Lewis Tiffany in New York, with the jeweller placing an order of 150 watches upon Patek’s departure. While both companies have changed hands since their inception, the partnership is still going strong over a century later. To date, the duo has previously collaborated on limited edition Patek Philippe watches four times.
The new Tiffany & Co. x Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5711/1A-018 features a dial in the famous Tiffany Blue and incorporates dual branding; Tiffany & Co. sits at 6 o’clock while Patek Philippe rests at 12 o’clock. The baton hour markers, as well as baton hour markers and minute hands, take shape in blackened white gold with luminous coatings. The signature steel case, bezel, and bracelet are enhanced by satin-finished and polished links, with the case housing a self-winding calibre 26-330 S C. On the back, you’ll find the sapphire crystal paying homage to the partnership, reading ‘170th Anniversary 1851-2021 Tiffany & Co. – Patek Philippe’.
The only issue? Deciding who gets their hands on one. Patek Philippe president Thierry Stern told The New York Times he wanted the collaboration to signal to Tiffany & Co. that “you have been doing a good job,” in light of the LVMH sale. However, he added that “I’m not sure it’s a gift for them. It may be a big problem. They may not realize how difficult it’s going to be to choose the clients.”
With a (somewhat random) retail price of $52,635 USD (approx. $74,315 AUD), the Tiffany Blue iteration comes with a premium of $18,000 over the olive green and classic blue versions. Nonetheless, we expect to see a select few smug multimillionaires and billionaires rocking the iconic hue on their wrists in the near future.
Words by AR Staff
