As most watch enthusiasts pay attention to the basic steel model of the Nautilus collection, reference 5711/1A, chances are high that you might have overseen one of the most beautiful pieces of the Nautilus collection. I’m talking about reference 5712/1A.
Nautilus is the perfectly designed watch model by Gerald Genta. It is distinctive because the case faultlessly gears up with the bracelet which features flat central links and a fold over clasp. While all Nautilus dials are symmetrically structured, there is one exception – reference 5712 which was released in October 2006. At first sight, the asymmetrical dial looks kind of “wrong”. What I mean with “wrong” is that the dial looks busy – date & moon indicator, power reserve and running seconds index are all on the same dial and all are differently sized. It’s a very brave move from Patek Philippe’s design team. When you flip the watch over, the beauty of the mechanical watch design can be easily seen through the sapphire crystal porthole into the patented Patek Philippe perpetual watch mechanism (self-winding Caliber 240 PS IRM C LU, which has been used as well for its predecessor, the Ref 3712/1A).
However, the master piece has a dark blue dial with white gold applied hour markers with luminescent coating. On the left side of the dial, you’ll find the 48 hours power reserve with four red dots which indicates a low remaining power reserve. The date and moon phase sub-dial is on the bottom left of the dial. Right next to it at four o’clock, you’ll find the running seconds index.
The longer you look at the watch, the more you fall in love with it and begin to appreciate the anomalies on the dial. This masterpiece is something very special in an exclusive collection of luxury watches.
Maybe this is the reason why the current market price (around USD 80,000) is more than double the price of the retail price (depending on the country USD 38,000).
The disharmony on the dial might not appeal to everyone, which is why the 5712/1A is a ‘love it or hate it’ kind of watch. But if you a lucky enough to own one of this masterpieces, congratulations. You have a watch with, what I like to call, a personality!
Summary
Brand:
Patek Philippe
Model:
5712/1A
Price:
retail price USD 38,000 (depending on the country of purchase), but current market price is around USD 80,000
Limitation:
no limitation, but hard to get due to low production
Measurements:
case diameter 40mm, case thickness 8.52mm
When to wear:
Just check @watchrookiee’s account on Instagram. He knows how to rock this master piece.
What we love about the watch:
The asymmetric dial causes mixed feeling between collectors and this is why we love the watch. It is not a watch you think it’s an “okay” watch. The 5712/1A is a ‘love it or hate it’ kind of watch.
Images: Instagram @watchrookiee
