Denim straps? The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980 in white gold
Patek Nautilus Flyback Chronograph 5980/60G-001
This is it, the last remaining current 5980 in the Patek catalogue.
First released in 2006 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Nautilus, the 5980 has been both a favourite and a fixture in the line-up for close to 20 years.
There have been plenty of iterations too ranging from steel, rose gold, two tone, and now this, the last man standing in 18 ct white gold with a pale denim blue theme.
Aside from cosmetic changes to the line, all of which have been screamingly popular, there has been a change which has not been as well received, the drop in stated water resistance from a sporty 120m to a baffling 30m.
Given that the Nautlius was supposed to be at home in the water - it wasn’t a move that was particularly well received when the new stats turned up on paper.
Patek have clarified that actual water resistance hasn’t changed, it has merely been standardised by the brands own measurements.
In a nutshell, you can take a Nautilus or an Aquanaut to a literal depth of 30m which is absoutely fine for recreational swimming, scuba, general sploshing about in the waves or doing the washing up.
Phew.
The rest of the stats are sort of unchanged at 40.5mm broad, 12.6mm thick and and 51mm long to include the integrated end links.
Missing though, is the bracelet, which in this version has been replaced by a REALLY nice denim and calfskin strap with folding clasp.
I have to say, it was a bold move for a conservative brand to start tinkering with blue jeans, but it works and ties in perfectly with the dial which is also a pale blue denim colour with bright white indexes that match the strap stitching.
Missing though, is the dark to light gradiant that is so often associated with Nautilus dials. Instead this dial is a really pleasant satin grey-blue tone.
It doesn’t have bells and fume whistles, but due to its semi-matte nature it picks out the shadows on the horizontal embossing and creates a great 3D landscape, its really cool and a bit of a testament to less is more.
As a package, the watch really does work well.
It actually gives me 1980s renaissance vibes as theres a decidedly retro influence at work despite this being an absolutely modern watch, which is a combination that tics my boxes all day long.
I love that this particular model is serious, while not taking itself too seriously.
Wear it with jeans, wear it with a hoodie, wear it with a suit, wear it however and wherever you want because despite being casual, its a Patek so whos going to compain about an informal precious metal Patek? Nobody.
Speaking of precious metal, the case is a sumptuous lump of white gold and blends alternating brushed “satin” and high polished finishes.
This case treatment has been a success since 1976 so nothing new or negative to note here. It’s a classic combination.
An interesting (perhaps) point of note on the Nautilus is that its crystal replicates the bezel in that it is cut to a polygon.
While both the Royal Oak and the Nautilus are iconic Genta designs, of the pair, the Nautilus is the only one who’s decidedly 70s anglular design echoes across the entire watch - the Royal Oak has a “standard” circular sapphire set into an octagonal bezel so on the sapphire front, the Nautilus reigns supreme in my humble opinion, as does this particular model, in fact.
I love the dial colour, the strap adds a level of fun to a generally quite austere brand, and if this is going to be the “last” of the 5980’s (which I hope it isn’t) then this is a watch that is more than capable of standing on its own two feet along with its iconic stablemates.
Personally, I prefer it to the venerable 5980R, which is quite a compliment.