Patek Philippe Nautilus Travel-Time Chronograph ref. 5990

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 2014 as part of Patek Philippe’s efforts to continue levelling up their then-current offerings, the Nautilus Travel-Time Chronograph was arguably one of the most complicated and useful Nautilus variants ever created when it debuted. While the annual calendar ref. 5726A had been launched four years prior, the ref. 5990 leaned into a more every-day casual aesthetic that leaned into what the Nautilus was all about, and as a result it became a hit with Patek’s collectors. While it’s case is tall for a Nautilus at 12.53mm, that trade-off from the Nautilus’ typically svelte profile was worth it in the eyes of collectors seeking a more utilitarian offering from within the Gerald Genta-designed collection, and that is exactly what they got. Packed with useful complications, the ref. 5990 has become one of the most sought-after Nautilus references.

Case and Dial

Boasting a diameter of 40.2mm, the ref. 5990’s case retains the Nautilus’ iconic design from the top down, as Patek made the effort to preserve the collection’s proportions and shape as much as possible. However, the one noticeable difference in the ref. 5990’s case is its height, coming in at 12.53mm due to its slew of complications. This is just over 4mm taller than the ref. 5711, or about a 50% increase, so the ref. 5990 does wear differently to other slimmer Nautilus models, but that is to be expected due to its much more complicated movement, and when compared to the slightly taller ref. 5980 that only features a chronograph, the ref. 5990 makes a lot of sense for collectors due to the trade-off in height being rewarded with even greater functionality.

Beyond its construction, the ref. 5990 features a rather unique dial, offered in blue or black, depending on the construction materials chosen. Boasting the Nautilus’ iconic horizontal embossed pattern, the ref. 5990’s dial departs from regular Nautilus models with its symmetrical subdial layout with a 60-minute chronograph subdial at 6 o’clock, and a pointer-date subdial at 12 o’clock. Furthermore, the ref. 5990 boasts twin AM/PM apertures at 3 and 9 o’clock, with ‘HOME’ and ‘LOCAL’ inscriptions above each, respectively. These apertures refer to the AM/PM status of the two centrally-located hour hands that it features, with the ‘HOME’ hand being a white skeletonised hand that is operable plus or minus one hour via the two pushers hidden within the case’s hinges at 9’clock.

The Movement

Powering the ref. 5990 is the automatic cal. 28-520 C FUS movement, a testament to Patek Philippe's relentless pursuit of mechanical excellence. This movement, visible through the ref. 5990’s sapphire crystal caseback, boasts Patek’s esteemed level of finishing alongside a host of impressive technical feats such as its Gyromax balance and a Spiromax® balance spring that allow it to perform at its impressive standard. While its power reserve might only be up to 55 hours, it still has a perfectly apt 4Hz beat rate and combines a flyback chronograph with dual two time zone functionality through its AM/PM indicators and seamlessly integrated second hour hand all within the one movement to ensure that you know you’re using a watch from one of the best watchmakers in the world.

Celeb Love

Given the ref. 5990 is packed with useful complications aimed at the jet-setters amongst us, it is no surprise that it has enjoyed an impressive streak of popularity amongst celebrities and high-flyers with seemingly every famous face you can think of owning one. Spotted on the wrists of sports stars like Giannis Ugo Antetokounmpo, Neymar Junior and Conor McGregor, in addition to actors, musicians, politicians, businessmen and more, the ref. 5990 is perhaps the poster child of truly functional luxury timepieces that cater to the needs of its wearers.

Market Performance

As a result of its functionality and resulting popularity, the ref. 5990 is one of the most universally sought-after Patek Philippe watches in the modern era of watch collecting, bar none. Only launched a decade ago, its stainless steel grey dial variant has become immensely popular, and as a result, it fetches a 110% price premium over its $58000 MSRP, resulting in a market value of $122,000.

In the same vein, the 18k rose gold blue dial ref. 5990s that was launched in 2021 demands a price premium of 123% over its MSRP of $121000, meaning its market value is an astounding $272000. It must be noted that soon after it launched, the ref. 5990R was fetching north of $350,000 on the open market due to the time of its release coinciding with the watch market’s peak in mid-2021. In addition to that, its blue dial also proved to be universally popular amongst those who wanted to depart from the ref. 5990A’s monochromatic aesthetic derived from its smokey grey dial and stainless steel combination.

Check out the live performance of Patek Philippe Nautilus Travel-Time Chronograph ref. 5990 at The Wristcheck Index