Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar 5740/1g-001 Review
What does an over a half-million-dollar watch look like?
Patek Philippe is one of those luxury watch brands whose name can often be found on the bucket list of many ambitious and successful people. From heads of state to titans of industry, their watches can often be seen on the wrists of those in power, those in charge, and other people of great financial means.
While all their watches are magnificent, exactly how great of a Patek Philippe watch would over half a million dollars get you? Read our full review to find out.
Patek Philippe Nautilus Perpetual Calendar 5740/1g-001 Review
It seems like no matter how expensive Patek Philippe Nautilus watches can get, they are getting harder and harder to keep in stock. People are jumping on them so quickly and will pay whatever the price to get their hands on one of these…or is it to get one of these on their hands? Whichever way you look at it, let’s get up close and personal with the Patek model # 5704/1g-001 that you see here and dissect it one feature at a time to see why this brand is still considered to be the undisputed champion in the watchmaking business.
One of the more iconic things about this watch is its creator. Patek Philippe commissioned none other than Gerald Genta, a watch designer whose commissioned creations include the iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, The Bulgari Octo, Omega Constellation, IWC Ingenieur including several that were released under his own brands such as the very exclusive Gerald Genta Grande Sonnerie, the GG Octogonal, and the GG Retrograde, to name a few. Naturally, someone as crafty and creative as Genta was cast to create the look of the Patek watch that everyone aspires to own.
Let’s take a close look at the design and aesthetics of this watch then we will jump into the horology and the movement that powers this magnificent timepiece.
Firstly, the dial is very recognizable with its blue embossed horizontal stripes and a fine sunburst finish. The index hour markers are filled with luminous material for maximum visibility during low light conditions and made of polished 18kt white gold. There is also a white, finely printed seconds track.
The central hands tell the hour and minutes, and the various sub-dials are primarily for the perpetual calendar functions that include day date, month, leap year, day/night, moon phase. The sub-register for the day of the month is indicated with ultra thin baton-style hands just like the other sub-dials and is located at the 6 o’clock position where you will find an integrated moonphase window sharing the same space using a black and white moon phase disc.
At the 3 o’clock position you will find a sub-dial that serves two purposes. The outer section indicates the month of the year while the inner section is a leap year indicator. At the 9 o’clock position, you will see a sub-register for the day of the week, and located at its center is an AM/PM day/night indicator.
Luckily for over $500,000 Patek Philippe is generous enough to deliver this watch in a case made of precious metal and not stainless steel. The 40mm case and bracelet are made of 18kt white gold and use a combination of a brushed and polished finish.
The central connecting links of the bracelet are slightly domed and have an exquisitely polished finish while the outer links have a finely brushed finish. The white gold linked bracelet can accommodate up to an 8” wrist and is fastened with a white gold push-button folding clasp. You can see the protective stickers protruding from the clasp behind the bracelet. in the image below. These were intentionally left on to protect the finish.
The clasp has a polished finish, and the center point, the point where both ends of the clasp meet when closed is engraved with the Calatrava Cross. When opened the clasp reveals the engraved brand mark with the name Patek Philippe and the word GENEVE beneath it. (The manufacturer's protective stickers were left on in the image below to protect the integrity of the finish on the clasp.
The beating heart that powers all the incredible functions of this watch is an automatic (self-winding) in-house Patek Philippe caliber 240 Q that is comprised of 275 parts. This 27-jewel automatic caliber beats at a steady 3 Hz or 21,600 oscillations per hour that self-winds with the kinetic energy generated by your wrist’s movement using a solid 18kt gold weighted micro-rotor. This rotor is engraved with the Calatrava cross and has a polished beveled edge and is finished to perfection. The rest of the movement exquisitely displays a tasteful combination of Côtes de Genève striping and perlage, a round radial brush patterned finish.
The high-complication movement features hours, minutes, and an impressive perpetual calendar function featuring day date month and moonphase leap year indicator and day/night indicator and is embellished with other engravings and markers that are gold-filled and through the transparent sapphire case back you can also see its ruby watch jewels. The 240 Q is also marked with the Patek Philippe seal of quality attesting to the rigorous testing and regulating that each of their movements baring this mark must endure to make it into stores worldwide. This caliber measures 27.5mm in diameter and has a 48-hour power reserve when fully wound.
Patek Philippe uses this movement in many of their perpetual calendar watches including the 3940, 5039, 5139, 5140, 5327, 5940, 7140, and 7149 and all the case material various of them. But certainly, the one model that catches everyone’s eyes is the one we are featuring here: the 5740/1G-001; the Nautilus Perpetual Calendar. It’s fashionable, sporty, elegant, hip, and sophisticated all at once.
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