Article | White Dial Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 1a 011 Phillips Perpetual Picks 2026

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When Patek Philippe unveiled a silvery-white version of the steel Nautilus Ref. 5711 at Baselworld 2012, the reaction was rather different from the frenzy that would surround almost any change to the model a few years later; the 5711 hadn’t yet become one of the most coveted watches on the planet.

Still, turning the familiar dark-dialed “Jumbo” Nautilus bright white was certainly enough to get collectors talking.

Turning White

The Ref. 5711/1A had arrived in 2006 as the modern successor to Gérald Genta’s original “Jumbo.” Its 40mm steel case retained the distinctive porthole-inspired shape and lateral “ears” of the Ref. 3700, while introducing a three-part construction, sapphire caseback, and central seconds. The familiar horizontally grooved dial remained dark blue, complete with a pronounced gradient effect.

Fast forward six years and Patek Philippe took the Nautilus somewhere brighter. At its stand in Basel, the manufacture introduced silvery-white dials across three steel models: the time-and-date Ref. 5711, Ref. 5980 chronograph, and Ref. 5726 annual calendar.

The change went beyond mere color. The horizontal grooves remained, but the gradient disappeared, leaving a uniform, crisp white surface. Patek also switched the hands and gold indexes to black executions, creating a sharp contrast across the dial – an appearance that has earned the /011 the collector nickname “Piano.”

Taking Sides

Not everyone was convinced, though. Collector discussions at the time included criticisms that the white 5711 was too stark, too bright, and less elegant than its blue sibling, with some even comparing its horizontal grooves to a garage door. Others loved it for exactly the same qualities, praising its fresher, younger character.

That difference of opinion shows how dramatically a dial can alter a familiar design. The blue 5711 was darker, more subdued, and carried the visual lineage of the original Nautilus. The /011 was brighter and more graphic, with its blackened accents standing prominently against the polar-fresh background.

While it spent much of its production life in the shadow of the dark dialed version, more recent collector commentary suggests that the qualities once considered unconventional have increasingly become reasons to seek it out.

Produced for around eight years and generally understood to have been made in smaller numbers than its blue sibling, the /011 is the rarer bird. When you do see one in the wild, you notice. For collectors today, that rarity has become part of both its appeal and its value.

Before The Piano

There had, in fact, been an intriguing precedent. In 1978, Stern Frères produced a ribbed white prototype dial for an original Ref. 3700/1 Nautilus at the special request of its owner. The watch, later nicknamed the “Albino,” was originally delivered with a black dial, with the white prototype produced separately at the owner’s request.

Whether this rare experiment had any bearing on the creation of the /011 more than three decades later is unknown. What it does show is that the idea of a white “Jumbo” Nautilus had been explored almost from the beginning. The /011 took that once-experimental proposition and, for the first time, put a white-dialed “Jumbo” Nautilus into serial production.

Daily Companion

The example currently available through Perpetual Hong Kong dates to 2014. Its 40mm steel case is just 8.5mm thick, with an integrated bracelet whose thin, articulated links help explain the enduring reputation of the 5711 as an exceptionally comfortable sports watch. At the time, Patek Philippe rated the model to 120m of water resistance.

Visible through the sapphire caseback is the automatic Calibre 324 S C. Running at 4 Hz, it combines a Gyromax free-sprung balance with a Spiromax silicon hairspring and provides approximately 35 to 45 hours of power reserve. This example is accompanied by its 2014 Certificate of Origin, instruction manual, presentation box, and outer packaging.

Standing Out

So, the white 5711 no longer lives quite so completely in the shadow of its blue sibling. Its relative rarity undoubtedly plays a part, but so does its difference. The crisp dial, strong contrast, and brighter character that challenged some collectors well over a decade ago are precisely the reasons others now covet it.

For anyone who wants a 5711 that stands apart from the version everybody knows, the Ref. 5711/1A-011 makes a more than compelling case for itself.

Please enquire with the Phillips Perpetual team for further information or visit the Phillips Perpetual website.