Last Sunday was International Female Day. I celebrated it by wearing a Patek Philippe Ladies Nautilus. The watch is marketed and positioned in the brand’s extensive catalog as a woman’s model. Is it?...
The Patek Philippe Nautilus traces its origin to the pen of famed watch designer Gerald Genta, hired to rescue Patek from the atteinte of the quartz watch crisis. The watchmaker’s vision for the brand-saving Nautilus: an ocean-inspired luxury watch stylish and durable enough to take anywhere. Initially decried as too modern, the Nautilus was a huge hit.
And so it remains. For certain “grail” models, a pre-owned prices far exceed retail values. More than forty years after its introduction the most coveted model is actually both the simplest and the largest expression of Genta’s genius: the “Jumbo. ”
The actual Jumbo had been too large for some. In 1980, Patek began making the Nautilus in various case sizes, including the “ladies’ Nautilus. ” The particular variations increased the Nautilus’ popularity to the point where it became the actual default choice for the critical luxury view buyer.
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Patek sells more midsize Nautilus models than Jumbo variants. Other than size, the smaller models differ from their Jumbo cousins in their reduced water resistance. Mostly everything else is exactly the same, give or take.
Until Patek Philippe updated the movement in the 5711 Jumbo product at Baselworld last year, the actual movements were the same. Typically the caliber 324 S C powers the particular reference 7118 models that now appear in typically the Patek catalog as the Nautilus “Ladies’ Automatic. ”
Ladies’ Nautilus or not, the 7118 references are midsized luxury sports enjoy models with high horology finishes and fun, casually elegant dials. In steel or gold, they suit most lifestyles with a certain poise increasingly missing in the world of watches.
The cases are a circular octagon with lobes extending on either side. They come with often the highly fashionable H-link integrated bracelets. Often the ears (wings, lobes, whatever) extending from the case sides are a mechanical component in the case’s construction.
The case is a two-part assembly, with screws through the bougie securing the exact bezel. This hinged porthole assembly characterizes the design of the very Nautilus versions and separates them from their competition from [also Genta designed] Audemars Piguet’s Regal Oak. The Ladies Nautilus comes in a variety of high quality finishes. The exact bezel’s as well as case’s satin finish have a fine, longitudinal silken grain, bringing the extremely high-polished bevels around the bezel and the lugs to the foreground.
The high polish continues on the central situation sections of the main flanking flambeau and around the back to the sapphire caseback’s circular bezel. The very bezel holding the sky-blue caseback in place is part of the central circumstance structure, not a snap-on.
Covering the dial, the flat blue crystal will be shaped around the edges and also traces along with matches the contours of the round octagonal viser. To prevent water ingress, a thin sliver of a rubber gasket is sandwiched between the event and the bezel’s porthole building - the Genta signature. Flipping the actual Patek Philippe Nautilus Ladies over, any sapphire crystal fills the majority of the surface. Patek finishes the particular lugs’ underside with a fine sandblasted finish. There’s some sort of prominent break in the completed shoulders of the lugforms between the satin in addition to blasted finishing - a new masterpiece associated with high-horology design.
The brightwork doesn’t end with the scenario. The bevels continue through the lug flanks, conforming to the taper from the supple bracelet. It’s confidently indistinguishable in step from link to link, adding a broad but softened posture to the bracelet’s square-shouldered look. The design’s cadence invites the wearer in order to stroke typically the bevels. The main clasp is really a double-deployant, dual arc foldover mechanism along with pusher-activated release. The leaf-spring loaded pusher releases tend to be formed from an elegant Z-shaped sinuous rocker arm architecture in high polish. When the friction-fit snap shut clasp is closed, the fleur-de-lis engravings on each of its sides join to form often the Calatrava cross.
The steel models - designated with the suffix /1A [steel in French is acier]- are available in three switch colors. The dials are usually finely embossed with variable depth wave-like patterns echoing the watch’s oceanic inspiration and goals. Model number 001 features the handsome blue opaline dial, clear lacquered over a latitudinally satin-finished galvanized base. The Patek Philippe signature bank, along with the home foundation Geneve, are generally transfer printed in white just under 12 o’clock.
The actual minutes track is denoted by good and highly polished applied white gold hemispheres. Then ten hours usually are indexed by highly polished lozenge-shaped used white gold indicators. 12 o’clock features an applied white gold Arabic numeral 12 in high shine. The date sits at 6 o’clock, adorned having a high refined octagonal white gold or platinum frame. The particular date disk has a white-colored background -- it successfully balances plus distinguishes itself on the call with superb elegance. Despite the varied ornaments and surface finishes and the undulating embossing, the exact dial’s overall balance is excellent. It’s youthful and sexy, full of dynamism and zeal. Because of its depth, the gem-like blue face is electrifying. The dial’s character is an excellent match for your sensuous styling of the cold, steel instance.
The Patek Philippe Nautilus Ladies white gold handset for these references is actually a departure from your Jumbo Nautilus models, even though it maintains the very paddle-shaped theme. Starting out broad at the central pinion, the main hour and even minute hands taper to a rounded point. The seconds hand can be a needle-shape, perfectly polished together with distortion free. It might be hard to spot within low light but its counterbalance is usually broad; the whole form is definitely rolled along its longitudinal axis to be able to catch as much light as it can. The white gold or platinum hour charge, hour and minute fingers are all generously painted together with luminescent material - low-light legibility can be strong. Day or night, telling the time is an easy delight, using the bold Arabic numeral twelve providing proper orientation. Total the palms via the push/pull cylindrical crown, knurled and finished, recessed into the 3 o’clock condition side.
Typically the action in the crown is certainly old school, linking you to the past of great watchmaking. Often the crown pulls out to it is first position to set the actual date, for you to its second position to set the time. The exact winding stem uses reduction gearing to help slow the particular inputs, allowing precise time setting as well as prolonging your interaction with your Patek Philippe Ladies Nautilus. Winding is normally smooth however crisp, using immense feel and satisfaction.
The downside of the extremely polished knurling and the decreased gearing: it takes a long time that will wind or even set typically the movement. Once you’re fine, the peerless automatic gathering mechanism picks up the slack. The motion is one of the very best in the entire industry, offering precision, reliability and some of the finest hand completing you can buy on a serially-produced caliber. The 21-karat gold centrally-rotating winding mass for the automatic winding mechanism is decorated with a Calatrava cross engraving. It functions fine micro-perlage or snailing around their bearings having broad, round Geneva ribbing, striping, or perhaps waves, radially arranged for the remainder of its massive surface.
The interior edges on the Ladies Nautilus’ rotor are highly polished bevels. Patek also highly-polishes often the bevels enhancing every bridge plate, jewel chaton, and also chamfered-slot bolt countersink. All the bridges will be treated to some Geneva ribbing finish. The top Gyromax balance featuring the exact Spiromax stability spring is free leapt for protection from shock-induced moment deviation. The very baseplate with the movement is finished with a perlage or snailed pattern.
The main entirety of your 3. 3 mm thin and 27mm wide movements is visible in the back. The movement : hand finished with wood along with diamond tipped tools rapid passes an in-house stringency surpassing the Geneva seal requirements to earn the Patek Philippe Nautilus Ladies seal. The seal’s engraved in addition to gilded on a single of the links.
The 4 Hz activity (beating in 28, eight hundred vibrations per hour) capabilities 29 jewelry overall. Women Nautilus runs for 45 hours once fully injure. The automated winding action of the rotor is unidirectional to maximize efficiency.
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