The Nautilus turns fifty this year, and Patek Philippe is marking the 1976 original’s anniversary with limited editions announced on its own site. The more telling anniversary story is what has happened to the collection’s most famous modern reference.
Patek confirmed in January 2021 that the steel Nautilus 5711/1A would leave the catalog. Its replacement, the white gold 5811/1G, arrived in October 2022 at a larger 41mm and a far larger price: $89,767 USD at current retail against the 5711’s final list price of $34,890 USD.
More than four years after discontinuation, steel 5711 examples still trade at roughly $130,000 to $160,000 USD on the secondary market, above the retail price of the new gold watch and only modestly below what a 5811/1G actually changes hands for. Both references, with full specifications, pricing, and sources, are in the INDICES database.