Since 1976the Nautilus has epitomized the elegant sports watch with the rounded octagonal shape of its bezel, its horizontally embossed dial,the ingenious porthole construction of its case. Four decades later, it still comprises of a splendid collection of models for men and women. Also, here is an interesting fact - Gérald Genta, who designed the Royal Oak for AP, brought his sketch to Patek Philippe for the Nautilus in 1974.
Interestingly, the name Nautilus comes from the submarine featured in Jules Verne’s classic novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The portholes on Captain Nemo’s submarine hada seemingly an oval shape. So, like a porthole, the sides of this magnificent timepiece serves to attach the bezel to the case, which leaves only one opening, in addition to the crown. This construction let this watch achieve water-resistance of 120 meters, which, at the time, was specifically high.
Furthermore, the Nautilus collection was Patek Philippe’s first step into the realm of sport watches. The model was an instant success and continues to be a staple for Patek Philippe to this day.