Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar ref. 5740

The Origins

Born in 1976, the Patek Philippe Nautilus was Patek’s attempt to enter the luxury sports watch market that Audemars Piguet had created just four years prior with the launch of their Royal Oak collection. Designed by the legendary Gérald Genta, who was inspired by the portholes of transatlantic liners, the Nautilus boasts a unique hinge-inspired case design with a rounded octagonal bezel that leans on the same aesthetic identity as found in the Royal Oak. Functionally robust and undeniably elegant, the original Nautilus, the ref. 3700 was ground-breaking in its own right due to its exceptional water resistance of 120 meters. This more than doubled the Royal Oak’s 50-meter water resistance, which enabled the Nautilus to lay the foundation of collectors' expectations for the robustness of watches within the same category for the decades following as collectors sought timepieces with genuine wearability in any scenario, unlike their dress watches.

Launched in 2018, as the most complicated Nautilus reference to date, the Nautilus Perpetual Calendar ref. 5740G has represented the absolute peak of the Nautilus’ watchmaking guile since its debut. While other models have featured chronographs, annual calendars, second time zones and more, the ref. 5740G brought the Nautilus into the world of true Haute horology as the collection’s first grand complication – a place befitting of Patek Philippe’s esteemed reputation as one of the finest watchmakers in the world. While the purists can argue that it is a deviation from the Nautilus’ simple roots as a sports watch, the ref. 5740G perfectly represents the Nautilus’ evolution through time.

Case and Dial

Boasting a diameter of 40mm, the ref. 5740’s 18k white gold case completely retains the Nautilus’ iconic design in each dimension. While other complicated Nautilus models have a tendency to grow quite tall, the ref. 5740 is the exception to that rule with its 8.4mm tall profile, a negligible increase on the time and date-only ref. 5711’s 8.3mm tall case. Furthermore, the ref. 5740’s case lacks any protruding pieces that would allow its wearer to operate its functions, such as pushers or levers. Instead it features sunken pushers that are only operable with a push-pin, like most perpetual calendars on the market. As a result, the ref. 5740’s 18k white gold case and bracelet almost perfectly match the ref. 5711’s silhouette, with just its dial being the point of differentiation.

Of course, as a perpetual calendar, the ref. 5740 was always going to have a unique dial layout for a Nautilus, and it certainly does. While the ref. 5740’s sunburst dial still retains the Nautilus’ horizontally-embossed texture, it is a noticeably brighter shade of blue when compared to the darker blues that have been used in the Nautilus collection before. Additionally, the trio of subdials for its calendar functions at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock provide an even larger visual contrast when compared to other Nautilus models, which highlights its impressive complexity and place amongst the most elite Nautilus references.

The Movement

Powering the ref. 5740 is the automatic cal. 240 Q movement, a testament to Patek Philippe's relentless pursuit of mechanical excellence in just about every manner possible. This movement, visible through the ref. 5740’s sapphire crystal case back, boasts Patek’s esteemed level of finishing alongside a host of impressive technical feats such as its Gyromax balance, Spiromax® balance spring and 22k yellow gold micro-rotor that leaves us with a rather unencumbered view of the cal. 240 Q’s architecture.

As a result of its myriad of functions, the ref. 5740 has a shorter than ideal power reserve, with just 38 to 48 hours at a beat rate of 3Hz, but the needs of a perpetual calendar means that is perfectly apt. At just 3.88mm tall, this movement is an exercise in mechanical showboating, and taller profile just for a longer power reserve and faster beat rate would ruin the watch. As a result, the ref. 5740 is unquestionably one of the best perpetual calendar references from within a luxury sports watch collection on the market as it engages with true haute horology in every way, shape and form.

Celeb Love

Like with most modern Nautilus references, the ref. 5740 can lay claim to a long list of celebrities who have the pleasure owning it. Amongst the names of those spotted wearing their examples are athletes like Lionel Messi, musicians like DJ Khaled and even watch-loving actors like Sylvester Stallone and many more. Given its status as the king of Nautilus references thanks to its incredibly complicated movement, 18k white gold construction and bright blue dial, it deserves its place within the watch boxes of the rich and famous, as the watch was no-doubt designed with them in mind.

Market Performance

As one of the most expensive Nautilus references available with an MSRP of $155000, the ref. 5740 is not subject to the same level of price speculation as other more affordable Nautilus references. While some collectors might be willing to join the waiting list for a ref. 5990 for just $43000, the same can’t be said for the ref. 5740. Of course, this translates into a smaller price premium than most other Nautilus variants, with the ref. 5740 demanding just 47% over retail. However, this does still result in an impressive current market value of $227000, granted that is down from the high set in May of 2022 whereby the ref. 5740 was fetching north of $315000.

Check out the live performance of Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar ref. 5740 on The Wristcheck Index