Our final live auction of the spring 2026 season, The Phillips New York Watch Auction: XIV, takes place on 13–14 June at our Manhattan headquarters, bringing together more than 150 exceptional watches in a carefully curated sale. Ahead of the auction, we’ll be highlighting some of its most compelling timepieces and stories, including the lots featured in this article.
By Steven Rogers
When Patek Philippe launched the Nautilus in 1976, it looked completely out of place in the Geneva brand’s catalogue. Here was a large stainless-steel sports watch with a porthole-inspired case and integrated bracelet from a manufacture better known for slim gold dress watches and complicated timepieces.
Conceived by Gérald Genta during the upheaval of the quartz crisis, the Nautilus proposed a different vision of luxury that favored design, finishing, and wearability over the mere presence of precious metal.
Half a century later, the Nautilus has grown far beyond a single collection; it has carved out a central place in the story of the modern luxury sports watch, with certain references having taken on near-mythical status among collectors.
Phillips is helping to mark the model’s 50th anniversary with nine Nautilus references in The New York Watch Auction: XIV, each one representing a different milestone in the evolution of the collection.
Patek Philippe Ref. 3700/11 Nautilus “Jumbo” Tiffany & Co. in Stainless Steel
As close to the beginning of the Nautilus story as we will find in this sale. Granted, not one of the earliest Ref. 3700/1 examples with baton minute markers, but nevertheless a first-reference “Jumbo” Nautilus – and one with a serious twist. Dating from 1986, the present Ref. 3700/11 bears the coveted Tiffany & Co. double signature, with only four steel examples currently known.
Introduced after Patek Philippe moved Nautilus case production in-house at Ateliers Réunis, the 3700/11 brought a slimmer, more tapered bracelet and dot minute markers. The Tiffany signature here elevates things even further, linking the original Nautilus directly to retailer co-signing, which would become one of the most highly prized elements in watch collecting.
Patek Philippe Ref. 3700/11 Nautilus “Jumbo” in 18k Yellow Gold
Birds of a feather flock together: another Ref. 3700/11, though this time in unapologetic yellow gold. If you want a full-yellow-gold “Jumbo” Nautilus with matching bracelet, this is your only option.
The original Nautilus may have helped redefine steel as a luxury material, but Patek Philippe soon realized the design also worked rather well in precious metal too. What's more, today, many collectors see yellow gold 3700s as one of the more interesting value propositions in Patek Philippe collecting.
Sold by luxury retailer Spritzer and Fuhrmann and accompanied by a full set of accessories, the present watch recalls a period when the Nautilus was still evolving before being canonized.
Patek Philippe Ref. 3711/1G-001 Nautilus “Jumbo” in 18k White Gold
The Ref. 3711 occupies an interesting place in Nautilus history. After the original “Jumbo” Ref. 3700 was discontinued at the beginning of the 1990s, Patek Philippe shifted away from the large-format, time-only Nautilus in favor of smaller references such as the Ref. 3800, leaving collectors without a classic Jumbo-style model for years. Then came the 3711 in 2004.
Produced for just two years and only in white gold, it laid the foundations for the modern Nautilus era. Visually, you can already see traces of the later Ref. 5711, with the 3711 introducing central sweep seconds to the classic Jumbo format.
Transitional references can often end up being overlooked at first before collectors reassess them later and the black-dialed 3711 appears to be one of those watches.
Patek Philippe Ref. 5711/1A-010 Nautilus “Jumbo, Eric Clapton” in Stainless Steel
The modern classic. Introduced in 2006 for the Nautilus’s 30th anniversary, the Ref. 5711 updated the “Jumbo” concept for a new era while remaining faithful to the spirit of the original 3700.
This later-series example dates from 2018 and comes with another layer of appeal: provenance.
Originally purchased by Eric Clapton, the watch combines one of the defining luxury sports watches of the 21st century with ownership by one of the world’s best-known watch collectors.
By the late 2010s, the 5711 had evolved from enthusiast favorite into a full-blown cultural phenomenon, with waiting lists stretching beyond a decade and secondary market prices spiraling. Rarely has a modern watch experienced such a trajectory.
Patek Philippe Ref. 5711/1P-001 Nautilus “40th Anniversary, Factory Double-Sealed” in Platinum with Baguette-Cut Diamond Hour Markers
By 2016, the Nautilus was naturally deemed important enough for Patek Philippe to mark its 40th anniversary with dedicated commemorative editions.
The Ref. 5711/1P-001 was the more discreet of the two anniversary pieces – the other being the oversized white-gold Ref. 5976/1G-001 chronograph. “Discreet,” however, is relative when discussing a platinum Nautilus with baguette-cut diamond markers.
Limited to 700 examples, the Ref. 5711/1P-001 paired the familiar “Jumbo” layout with a platinum case, anniversary inscription at six o’clock, and a cork presentation box recalling the original 1976 packaging. Adding to its appeal, the present example remains factory double-sealed.
Patek Philippe Ref. 5980/1A-014 Nautilus Chronograph in Stainless Steel
The Nautilus had already incorporated moonphases and power-reserve indications by the time the Ref. 5980 arrived in 2006, but the chronograph complication somehow suited the collection especially well. After all, a sports watch and chronograph remain natural companions. More importantly, the 5980 introduced Patek Philippe’s first in-house, self-winding chronograph caliber, the CH 28-520 C.
The anthracite-dial “-014” variant seen here was produced only between 2010 and 2014, giving it a shorter production run than the original blue-dial edition. Its bullseye mono-counter chronograph display at six o’clock also gives the watch a distinctive personality compared to more conventional chronograph layouts.
Patek Philippe Ref. 5711/1A-014 Nautilus “Olive Green Dial” in Stainless Steel
One of the defining farewell watches of modern collecting. Released in 2021 shortly before the discontinuation of the steel Ref. 5711, the olive green dial version existed for barely a year. Collectors immediately latched on to both its scarcity and unusual color.
Interestingly, the dial often appears quite dark indoors, with the green tones only properly emerging under stronger light. Another detail enthusiasts quickly noticed was the metallic frame around the date aperture, different from the blue-dial version.
More significant, though, was what the watch represented: Patek Philippe discontinuing the steel 5711 at the absolute height of its popularity – a bold move that ultimately reinforced the Nautilus’s mythology.
Patek Philippe Ref. 5740/1G-001 Nautilus Perpetual Calendar “Tiffany & Co.” in 18k White Gold
If the original Nautilus challenged accepted ideas of luxury sports watches, the Ref. 5740 demonstrated how comfortably the collection could absorb high complication watchmaking without losing its DNA. Introduced in 2018, it became the first perpetual calendar Nautilus and remains surprisingly singular within the collection.
While other brands have endlessly multiplied complicated sports-watch variants, for years Patek Philippe kept the 5740 remarkably focused: white gold, blue dial, perpetual calendar.
The present example goes a step further thanks to its Tiffany & Co. double signature, a combination rarely seen publicly. By this stage, the Nautilus had become capable of carrying nearly every aspect of modern Patek Philippe identity simultaneously.
Patek Philippe Ref. 5980/60G-001 Nautilus Flyback Chronograph in 18k White Gold
We finish off with something slightly different. The Ref. 5980/60G-001 shows where the Nautilus sits today – more relaxed, more versatile, and perhaps less rigidly tied to the integrated-bracelet formula than before.
While the white gold case and blue-grey dial remain undeniably Nautilus, the denim-texture calfskin strap changes the mood somewhat.
There has always been a small niche of collectors drawn to Nautilus references on straps rather than bracelets, and this contemporary chronograph plays on that idea confidently.
It also closes the circle neatly: a collection once considered radical for pairing luxury with casual sportiness now appears comfortable enough to reinterpret itself without losing its character.
Fifty Years On
Of course, nine references can never fully summarize half a century of Nautilus history. Entire chapters remain untouched here: from midsize references and ladies’ models to annual calendars, travel-time editions, and gem-set variations.
Yet, viewed collectively, these watches help chronicle key stages in the journey of the Nautilus, a journey that took it from controversial 1970s steel sports watch to one of the defining luxury objects of the modern era.
You can learn more about these timepieces, place a bid, and view the entire Phillips New York Watch Auction: XIV catalogue right here.
About Phillips In Association With Bacs & Russo
The team of specialists at Phillips Watches is dedicated to an uncompromised approach to quality, transparency, and client service. Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo holds the world record for the most successful watch auction, with its DECADE ONE (2015–2025) sale having realized $83 million in 2025. The annual total for watch auctions in 2025 exceeded $290 million, marking the first time any auction house's Watches department has surpassed US$200 million in annual sales for five consecutive years.
About Steven Rogers
Steven Rogers is Senior Editorial Manager at Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo, with 15 years’ experience in the Swiss watch industry as an editor, copywriter, and communications manager across brands, agencies, and media.