Dr. Pierre-Nicolas Schwab is the founder of IntoTheMinds, a market research website that provides excellent insights into many market segments, including luxury watches. Charles Schwab has given us permission to republish this article, which tracks the price evolution of Patek Philippe Nautilus watches, including information on which precision models, case materials and even bracelet options are in high demand.

The stainless steel plate has a smooth surface, high plasticity, toughness and mechanical strength, and is resistant to corrosion by acids, alkaline gases, solutions and other media. It is an alloy steel that does not rust easily, but not absolutely rust-free.
Stainless steel plate refers to a steel plate that is resistant to corrosion by weak media such as atmosphere, steam and water,while acid-resistant steel plate refers to a steel plate that is resistant to corrosion by chemically corrosive media such asacid, alkali, and salt.

Chemistry(range or Maximum in %)

Chemistry (range or maximum in %)

Grade 316 Plate Properties

MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF 316 AND 316L STAINLESS STEEL PLATE

These stainless steel plates have some very important mechanical properties. Grade 316 stainless steel plate has a minimum tensile strength of 75 ksi and a yield strength at 0.2% of 30 ksi. 316 stainless steel plate has a 40% elongation. On the Brinell hardness scale 316 stainless steel plate has a hardness of 217 and a Rockwell B hardness of 95. There are a few differences in mechanical properties between 316 and 316L stainless steel plate. One of these difference lies in the tensile strength. The minimum tensile strength of 316L stainless steel plate is 70 ksi. The yield strength at 0.2% is 25 ksi. 316L stainless steel has an elongation of 40%, a hardness of 217 on the Brinell scale and a 95 on the Rockwell B scale.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF 316 AND 316L STAINLESS STEEL PLATE

The density of 316 and 316L stainless steel plate is 0.29 lbM/in^3 at 68℉. The thermal conductivity of grade 316 and 316L stainless steel plate is 100.8 BTU/h ft. at 68℉ to 212℉. The coefficient of thermal expansion is 8.9in x 10^-6 at 32℉-212℉. Between 32℉ and 1,000℉ the coefficient of thermal expansion is 9.7 in x 10^-6, and between 32℉ and 1,500℉ the coefficient of thermal expansion is 11.1 in x 10^-6. The specific heat of 316 and 316L stainless steel plate is 0.108 BTU/lb at 68℉ and at 200℉ it is 0.116 BTU/lb. The melting range of 316 and 316L stainless steel plate is between 2,500℉ and 2,550℉.

How much does a Patek Philippe Nautilus cost? How will the Nautilus price change? As the market for luxury men’s watches bubbles, answering these questions, while relevant, has become extremely difficult. Prices for some models have skyrocketed. Nautilus by Patek Philippe is one of them. This article analyzes the price history of 31 Patek Philippe Nautilus models. We reveal the models that received absolute values, the most noticeable relative magnifications and the influence of case and bracelet materials. These analyzes are essential if you want to invest or simply treat yourself.
For this study, we have compiled this Patek Philippe Nautilus guide covering the most important models. We have selected 37 Nautilus models, which you can check out at the end of this article.
For each of them, we collected historical sales data and analyzed the evolution of several indicators from January 2018 to February 2022:
You’ll notice that we couldn’t find enough data for some of the pre-selected models. Therefore, we excluded them from the calculation. These are Patek Philippe Nautilus numbers 5968A-001, 5968A-001, 5719/10G-010, 5724R-001, 5168G-010 and 4700/51.
The model that received the highest price was the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5976/1G-001, which has increased in price by almost 550,000 euros since 2018. This platinum model was released in 2016 for the 40th anniversary of Nautilus. This anniversary model is produced in a limited edition (1300 copies), logically intended for the best customers of the brand. One sold at Christie’s in May 2022 for €915,000, well above its high valuation. No doubt this is due to its mint condition, which makes this piece particularly popular with buyers and makes it an attractive investment.
On the second level of the podium is a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711/1R-001 watch. It is all rose gold and there will be around 1200 pieces produced. The model is growing rapidly, peaking in February 2022 with an average profit of almost 330,000 euros. Since then, the market has changed and 5711/1R-001 has plummeted in price. Recent auction results indicate a value of around $200,000.
On the third floor of the podium is a Patek Philippe Nautilus 5980/1R-001. This is a rose gold Nautilus (case and bracelet) with the same complication (chronograph) as the anniversary model 5976/1G-001 at the top of the runway. The model is so popular that the average selling price in February 2022 was 290,000 euros higher than in January 2018. Since then, the speculative bubble has deflated, with some examples sold at auctions for less than $300,000. It’s not very much, but it’s clear that some models are capitalizing on the speculative frenzy.
Having seen the high appreciation of the various Patek Philippe Nautilus models, let’s now look at the relative growth (in percentage terms) over the past four years. List prices for Nautilus models vary widely, from under €30,000 for a stainless steel Nautilus 5711 to over €100,000 for a platinum perpetual calendar Nautilus 5740. To up the ante, not all Nautilus models are created equal.
At least seven Patek Philippe Nautilus watches increased in price by at least 400% between January 2018 and February 2022, when the luxury men’s watch market was at its peak.
The Nautilus 5711/1R-001 mentioned in the previous paragraph has increased by as much as 744%! This is way ahead of other models that are mostly made of steel.
It is logical to assume that precious metals are in the highest demand and outperform watches made from less precious materials. It’s not an option. Our analysis shows that Nautilus steel models experienced the most significant growth in the past four years.
From 2018 to its peak in February 2022, Nautilus Steel is up 361%. This is slightly better than 332% for rose gold and 316% for the gold/steel combo. In terms of estimation, the takeoff time is November 2020.
The most advanced are the Nautilus models in steel, rose gold and gold/steel. Platinum “only” increased by 172%. Gold seems like a material that “no one buys” as Nautilus models made from it have risen by just 33% in four years. So buyers are clearly unhappy with gold.
The final analysis concerns the influence of the strap material. Sports watches like Nautilus are ideal for a bracelet made of the same metal as the case. Since the speculative bubble in the luxury watch market has mostly revolved around sports watches (Nautilus, Aquanaut, Royal Oak, Rolex), it is worth considering the impact of bracelet/strap type. Spoiler ☢ It turns out not what you think.
The analysis showed that sales of watch models with non-metal straps grew the most. This is 383% more than in January 2018. For metal bracelets, the increase was “only” 297%. However, most of our sample consisted of metal bracelets, which could skew the results.
Dr. Pierre-Nicolas Schwab is the founder of IntoTheMinds. It specializes in e-commerce, retail and logistics. He is also a marketing researcher at the Free University of Brussels and coaches several start-ups and civil society organizations. He holds a PhD in Marketing, an MBA in Finance, and an MBA in Chemistry. You can read more of his analysis at www.intotheminds.com.
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Well researched. A valuable extension of my research with 3,700 people between 2016 and 2018. I found that the average annual increase was 53%.