By Meor Amri Meor Ayob
Every watch collector has a Holy Grail, the watch to cap his or her collection. For me, the Patek Philippe Nautilus is my Holy Grail.
Recently, Patek Philippe released this model, designated Reference 5980/1AR-001, the first in the revamped Nautilus family to combine stainless steel and rose gold, with gold used for the bezel, screw-down crown, and chronograph pushers. The bracelet has both steel and gold links.
The case is 40.5 mm in diameter and water-resistant to 120 meters. Gold, treated with luminescent coating, is also used for the hour markers on the blue gradient dial. The dial has a date window at 3 o’clock and a chronograph subdial at 6 o’clock that tallies both minutes (up to 60) and hours (up to 12), while the central chronograph hand sweeps around the dial.
The movement, which can be seen through a sapphire window in the caseback, is Patek Philippe’s Caliber CH 28-520 C, an automatic movement powering a date indicator and chronograph function. It is 30 mm in diameter and 6.63 mm thick, with 327 parts total, including 35 jewels and 13 bridges. Its Gyromax balance oscillates at a frequency of 28,800 vph (4 Hz).
Personally, this is not the model under the Nautilus series that I dream of. A full stainless steel or titanium construction without the gold would be my thing. Exchanging the chronograph complication with a power reserve indicator and substituting the gold bezel for a ceramic one plus retaining the blue dial would make a model of Nautilus that I would die for.
So Patek Philippe, can you make one based on my specification?
