Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1A-010

The brainchild of legendary watch designer Gerald Genta, the Nautilus was introduced in 1976 to compete with Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, another now-iconic Genta-designed steel sports watch launched a few years earlier. Its case shape, with ear-like projections either side, was like nothing the industry had seen before and despite not being an immediate hit it’s now one of the most sought-after Patek models around. The 5711/1A made its debut in 2006 to mark the 30th anniversary of the model and became an instant hit, with client waiting lists said to be around a decade long and the market value going stratospheric. Despite this, Patek discontinued it in 2021, only to replace it soon after with the equally hard-to-get olive-green dial version. All steel, with a horizontally embossed dial, gold applied hour markers and a date aperture at 3 o’clock, it’s a triumph of simplicity that exudes high-end luxury. It’s powered by the automatic calibre 324 SC which holds a power reserve of 35-45 hours and is visible through the exhibition caseback, revealing the stunning 21k gold rotor within.