For the 40th anniversary of the Nautilus in 2016, Patek Philippe commemorated their revolutionary sports watches with two renditions in platinum. But for years before this, a platinum version of the 5711 was being created by the manufacture in very limited production and for Patek’s most important clients. It is believed that less than fifty pieces were made in about a five year span. Before this time, platinum Nautilus’ from Patek Philippe are virtually unheard of, with a few exceptions including of a possibly unique reference 3800 with unusual anthracite dial that appeared at auction in Geneva last fall.

The sheer heft of these pieces and the brilliance of the blue dial contrasting against the silvery-white metal make these pieces a joy to wear on the wrist. Though first discarded by the 16th century Spanish colonists of South America who saw it as an impurity while mining silver, by the 18th century, King Louis XV of France declared that platinum was the only metal ft for a king.

Further underscoring the rarity of this piece, the platinum version is rarely seen in public and only about four have ever surfaced at auction. The present example has been serviced but not polished, and is still sealed from this service, bearing its original certificate and literature.