Patek Philippe Nautilus 5990/1A-001 Luxury Watch Review

Check out our updated review of this watch:    • Patek Philippe Nautilus Travel Time C...  

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The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5990/1A-001 has it all: classical design; chronograph, dual-time, and take-it-swimming sportswatch versatility. And because it's a Patek Philippe sports watch, you can wear all of the above with a business suit as well as a bathing suit.

Combine the best elements of the original 1976 Nautilus 3700, the 2006 Nautilus 5980 chronograph, and the 2011 Aquanaut TravelTime 5164, and you get the Nautilus 5990/1A.

Let's start with the simple pleasure of brushed and polished stainless steel, just as original Nautilus creator Gerald Genta envisioned. As of 2014, the old steel-only Nautilus 5980 chronograph was discontinued. If you want the only proper metal for a sports watch, the only true metal for a Nautilus, and the metal that comprises less than 20 percent of total Patek Philippe annual production, you had better line up for the Nautilus 5990/1A. Or skip the line, because this 5990/1A is available from thewatchbox.com with no dealer wait list... and all of the factory warranty coverage!

How about complications? The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5990/1A has got 'em in droves. With a chronograph, automatic winding, a radial date, two independent time zones, and twin AM/PM indicators, there is no practical complication that this watch lacks. Even better, Patek Philippe has done a masterful job of integrating this mass of mechanical mastery into a clean and uncluttered package that leaves Gerald Genta's original Nautilus design minimally disturbed. And that's no mean accomplishment.

The signature Nautilus case "wings" are a case-in-point. While the chronograph pushers reprise the delicate taper and minimalist profile of their forerunners on the 5980, check out the travel time adjusters on the opposite flank. What, you claim you don't see the travel time adjusters? Of course you do; Patek Philippe has turned the nine o'clock case "wing" into a bifurcated +/- hour adjuster for the local time zone. Clever, no?

The same level of attention to detail and aesthetic harmony has endowed the Patek Philippe 5990/1A with a dial that exhibits both vertical and bilateral symmetry. Again, the sheer amount of data being conveyed renders this a triumph of packaging prowess and engineering elegance. Even better, the romantic "gradient dial" of the original Nautilus design remains unspoiled. With plenty of open real estate to shift its shade, the dial's romantic transition from intense cumulonimbus borders to argent center is easy to distinguish.

As complicated sports watches go, the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5990/1A-001 ranks among the best of the best. But the best isn't easy to find, especially if you aren't on the "friends and family" plan at an authorized Patek Philippe dealer.

Fortunately, WatchBox has the fish everyone is looking to land. It's available with full factory boxes, manuals, accessories, and documents of provenance. Even better, this watch was obtained with factory warranty only days prior to the filming of our video, so it retains virtually the entire Patek Philippe factory protection against all defects in workmanship, materials, and performance.

Own it today: visit www.thewatchbox.com to see this Patek Philippe Nautilus 5990/1A-001 in high-resolution images with all accessories. Video and content by Tim Mosso.