Breaking News Patek Philippe's Ref. 5711 Nautilus Is Back As A Unique Piece For Charity

Today, the one word and four numbers that can send tingles down the spine of a watch collector ring out once again. The steel 5711 is back (presumably for the last time) with the ref. 5711/1500A – a hand-engraved unique piece donated by Patek Philippe to be auctioned off on November 25, 2024, at the Children Action Gala.

Children Action was established by Swiss entrepreneur Bernard Sabrier in 1994. Based in Geneva, the foundation is dedicated to making a positive impact on the lives of impoverished children around the world, with over 215,000 helped to date. The Children Action Gala is a biannual fundraising event that includes a small selection of auction items to support the foundation's projects. Sometimes, watches are included in this selection of items. Like, really, really important watches.

Since 2005, Patek has supported Children Action by offering a unique piece at Children Action Gala auctions. Previous donated pieces include the ref. 6000T Calatrava in 2007, ref. 5180T Skeleton in 2009, ref. 5131J Woldtimer in 2012, ref. 5396T Annual Calendar in 2015, ref. 5524T Calatrava Pilot Travel Time in 2018, and ref. 5270T Perpetual Calendar Chronograph in 2022. All one-of-a-kind with unique traits, including titanium cases and dial tweaks, it is no surprise that Children Action Pateks regularly surpass records, becoming the most expensive example of their respective reference – the 5270T sold for 9.7 million CHF two years back. For the 5711/1500A to hold that honor, it will have to surpass $6,503,500. Regardless, the high sale prices are all for a good cause.

Speculation will fly as to whether this 5711 will be the last steel example of the reference produced, but speaking to the merits of the watch itself, we have a fascinating mix of the two sides of Patek Philippe at play. In today's watch world, few brands can produce both traditionally crafted, Swiss-style watches while also playing in the thoroughly modern luxury watch arena. Patek walks this extremely fine line at the highest level by exploring new territory with models like the ref. 5260/1455R Aquanaut Luce Rainbow while respecting its history with releases like the ref. 5160/500R Retrograde Perpetual Calendar.

The case, bezel, bracelet, and caseback of the 5711/1500A are hand engraved with a "Māori-inspired" motif. While the engraving style distinctly references the Māori people of New Zealand, new to Patek to my knowledge, the overall look is similar to that found on the 5160/500R, the ref. 6002R Sky Moon Tourbillon, and, of course, the original ref. 5175R Grandmaster Chime. From a craft perspective, hand-engraving like this is something Patek goes back to time and time again for its high-complication pieces. This year's Children Action 5711 stands alone as the first Nautilus, the first Patek Philippe sport watch, and the first steel watch of any kind from the brand with an engraved case.

The dial of this unique Nautilus is dark grey with a hint of brown. Accompanying the watch is a matching pair of hand-engraved cufflinks. While the dial color is not officially described, the cufflinks are noted as featuring a "charcoal gray sunburst center with a black-gradient rim."

The 2024 Children Action Gala will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the foundation. Somewhere in the night's festivities, the 5711/1500A will take a swing at becoming the most expensive Nautilus ever sold. Aurel Bacs of Phillips Bacs & Russo will be conducting the auction live with all of the proceeds going to Children Action to support its operational motto – "The first human right is to have a childhood."