Making its important debut in 2006, the Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5980 along with refs. 5711 and 5712 marked a new era for the coveted Nautilus. While the ref. 5711 shared very much of the same aesthetics as the ref. 3700 and the ref. 5712 sharing similarities with the short-lived ref. 3712, the ref. 5980 was entirely new. Featuring a flyback chronograph function with a date indication, the ref. 5980 features Patek Philippe’s first self-winding in-house chronograph cal. CH 28-520 and was also the first Nautilus chronograph model launched.

While its dial retains the key elements of a Nautilus including a ribbed dial made available in blue or black for stainless steel examples, the indexes are further reminiscent of the indexes used in the refs. 5711 and 5712. Furthermore, to enhance its legibility the chronograph registers are combined as one forming what is dubbed as the “bull’s eye” counter. The reference was available in stainless steel with bracelet, 18K pink gold with a leather strap for early examples and the latest iteration in 18K pink gold with a matching bracelet. Stainless steel examples have been discontinued in 2014, and have been one of the most sought after Patek Phlippe references since.

The present example Patek Philippe Nautilus ref. 5980/1A-001 in stainless steel with a blue dial from circa 2007 is offered in excellent overall condition and is further accompanied by its full set of accessories.