The Patek Philippe Nautilus launched in 1976 as the reference 3700, but the Nautilus 5711 was the model that made Patek Philippe's steel sports watch a superstar. By 2021, runaway prices and social media obsession had raised the 5711's profile to the point that it began to overshadow the entire Patek Philippe watch brand. Patek decided to end the run of its most famous model with a one-year edition, the 5711/1A-014. With its famed Gerald Genta design and a voguish green dial, the final 2021 Patek Philippe Nautilus was discontinued with a final flourish of style, and yes, hype.

Although the Patek 5711 debuted as far back as 2006, it didn't become a hype watch or an object of mainstream consumer fixation until years later. However, by 2017, it became clear to Patek Philippe collectors that the market prices of the Nautilus 5711 had accelerated to an extent that could not be explained by watchmaking improvements to the model or incremental increases in its retail price. Demand from a flood of cryptocurrency millionaires and social media hype meant that the 5711 Nautilus verged on overshadowing the Patek Philippe brand itself. Patek President and owner Thierry Stern realized that a single model couldn't be allowed to shade the company's vast history and collection, so he made an executive decision: the 5711 would be discontinued.

But before the end of this Patek Nautilus generation, there would be a sendoff. The 5711/1A-014 was part of a trio of limited run 5711 models that included the diamond-set 5711/1300A and the Tiffany-signed turquoise dial 5711/1A-018. The -14's vibrant green metallic dial included the traditional Nautilus stripes, but its verdant color was clearly a product of recent watch industry consumer trends. Watch collectors with a sufficient budget, outstanding dealer relationships, and strong connections to the Patek Philippe brand had the opportunity to buy this watch for its $34,893 retail price in 2021.

From a technical standpoint the Nautilus 5711/1A-014 includes a 40mm stainless steel case and an integrated steel bracelet. All external details are beautifully finished by hand in a process that adds hours to the production process and thousands of dollars to the retail price. A screw-down crown and sandwich-style case construction endow this Nautilus with impressive 120-meter water resistance.

While 5711s built through 2018 employed the automatic caliber 324, the 2019-2021 5711 included the more modern caliber 26-330 SC that included a new hacking seconds feature. With 45 hours of power reserve, automatic winding, hacking seconds, quickset date, Gyromax free-sprung balance, Spiromax silicon hairspring, and six-position adjustment, the 26-330 is a sophisticated movement capable of running at least -3/+2 seconds per day when delivered from the factory.

Today, the 2021 Nautilus 5711/1A-014 is a collector's item of the highest order. Preowned prices as high as $300,000 are common when examples come to market, and the very best examples are considered investments on par with real estate and Enzo-era vintage Ferraris. As a fetish object, the green dial Patek Nautilus has few equals. But for the brave watch connoisseurs with the courage to actually use their exalted timepieces, the experience of wearing the discontinued green 5711 entails the grace, durability, evergreen panache, and horological qualities that have defined the Patek Philippe Nautilus since 1976

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