Introduction
On 24 January 2021, Patek Philippe sent a letter to its authorised dealers announcing the discontinuation of the Nautilus 5711/1A. The steel Nautilus — the watch that had defined the modern luxury sports category more completely than any other single reference for over a decade — was ending production.
What followed was one of the most dramatic secondary market events in recent watch history. The 5711/1A, which had been trading at two to three times its retail price during its production years, repriced dramatically upward on discontinuation. The reference had already been the most discussed, most allocated, and most coveted steel sports watch in the world. Its absence from the catalogue transformed it into something else: a fixed, finite object whose supply would only diminish over time.
Quick Specifications — 5711/1A (Steel Reference)
- Brand: Patek Philippe
- Model: Nautilus
- Reference: 5711/1A-010 (final production steel variant, blue sunburst dial)
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Case Size: 40mm × 8.3mm
- Dial: Blue gradient sunburst; horizontal embossed stripes; applied luminous baton hour markers; date window at 3 o'clock
- Bezel: Integrated, octagonal with rounded corners; alternating polished and satin-brushed finishing
- Crystal: Sapphire, anti-reflective coating
- Bracelet: Integrated stainless steel, five-link; fold-over clasp with security push-piece
- Movement / Caliber: Patek Philippe Calibre 324 S C, in-house manufacture
- Winding: Automatic
- Frequency: 4Hz (28,800 vph)
- Power Reserve: Approximately 45 hours
- Complications: Date; sweep seconds
- Certification: Patek Philippe Seal (±2 sec/day criteria)
- Water Resistance: 120m / 394ft
- Production Period (5711/1A): Introduced 2006; discontinued January 2021
History of the Model
The Nautilus story begins in 1976 with the reference 3700 — the original Nautilus, designed by Gérald Genta, launched at a price that was controversial at the time (more expensive than a gold Rolex, in steel). The lineage progressed through references 3710, 3711, and arrived at the 5711 in 2006, the year that also produced the 5712 (moonphase) to mark the Nautilus's 30th anniversary. During its fifteen years of production, the 5711 existed across multiple dial configurations and bracelet options. Its retail pricing was approximately CHF 26,000 to CHF 30,000 in steel depending on market and year. Secondary market premiums grew from modest to extraordinary over the course of the 2010s, accelerating through 2020 and 2021 before the discontinuation announcement.
All Sub-References — Complete Overview
5711/1A-010 — Steel, blue gradient dial, integrated bracelet. The most sought-after 5711 configuration and the final standard-production sub-reference before discontinuation. The -010 blue dial is the definitive modern Nautilus.
5711/1A-011 — Steel, olive green dial, integrated bracelet. Announced simultaneously with the discontinuation of the 5711/1A-010 in January 2021 — a parting gift from Patek Philippe, limited to a single production run of approximately 170 pieces allocated to select retailers. Among the most valuable 5711 configurations by secondary market result.
5711/1A-014 — Steel, white dial, integrated bracelet. A white dial configuration, available for a period during the reference's production run.
5711/1P-001 — 950 Platinum, blue/grey dial, integrated bracelet. The platinum 5711. Platinum production volumes were small; this is among the rarer standard-catalogue 5711 configurations.
5711/1G-001 — 18k White Gold, blue/grey dial, integrated bracelet. White gold case with a dial that reads differently from both the steel and platinum versions.
5711/1R-001 — 18k Rose Gold, chocolate brown dial, integrated bracelet. The rose gold 5711 with a warm chocolate brown dial. A more formally dressed configuration within the sports watch design language.
5711/1A-001 — Steel, grey dial, integrated bracelet. An earlier grey dial configuration. Cooler and arguably more restrained than the blue. Sought-after as an earlier production variant.
Tiffany & Co. signed variants. Certain 5711/1A examples were produced with "Tiffany & Co." retailer signature on the dial. A particularly notable example — a green-dial Tiffany-signed 5711 — appeared at Phillips New York in December 2021 and achieved USD 6.5 million, setting a world record for any 5711 and establishing the retailer-signed category as the apex of the reference's market.
Why Collectors Care
The 5711 arrived at the right moment in the history of the luxury sports watch. The Nautilus design — developed in 1976 by the designer who also created the Royal Oak — had accumulated forty years of cultural weight by the time the 5711 became the definitive version of it. The case was thin, beautiful, and superbly finished. The movement was excellent. And the watch was, for practical purposes, unavailable at its retail price for the better part of a decade.
That structural unavailability created a self-reinforcing dynamic. The discontinuation did not resolve it — it intensified it. The supply of 5711 examples is now fixed. Every reference that leaves the collector market reduces the available secondary market pool.
Buying Advice
Authentication is paramount. The 5711's value profile means it attracts sophisticated forgeries and incomplete examples. Use only dealers with documented expertise in Patek Philippe Nautilus references.
Dial condition. The blue sunburst dial is sensitive to humidity, UV exposure, and improper cleaning. Inspect for any patchy discolouration, fading at the edges, or moisture marks inside the crystal.
Bracelet integrity. The integrated bracelet should have no lateral play between links. Bracelet stretch can often be reduced through a Patek Philippe service.
Know your sub-reference. The -010 blue dial, the -011 olive green, the Tiffany-signed variants, and the precious metal configurations are not interchangeable in terms of value. Confirm the exact sub-reference from the accompanying papers.
Final Thoughts
The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 is the most consequential discontinued steel sports watch of the twenty-first century. Its thinness, finishing, movement quality, and design heritage combine into a reference whose significance has only grown since production ended. Wind It Up Watches can help source a verified example through our trusted network.