Patek Philippe Nautilus 5990/1A-001

The brainchild of legendary watch designer Gerald Genta, the Nautilus was introduced in 1976 to compete with Audemars Piguet’s Royal Oak, another now-iconic Genta-designed steel sports watch launched a few years earlier. Its case shape, with ear-like projections either side, was like nothing the industry had seen before and despite not being an immediate hit it’s now one of the most sought-after Patek models around. The 5990/1A, now discontinued, enhances an already remarkable watch with a host of extremely useful functions, comprising a second time zone—with a day and night indicator for both local and home zones—a date, displayed on the sub dial between 11 and 1 o’clock, subsidiary seconds and a flyback chronograph. Stainless steel, with a horizontally embossed black dial and white gold applied hour markers, it exudes high-end luxury and is powered by the automatic Caliber 28-520 S C FUS which holds a power reserve of 45 hours. The movement is visible through the case back, revealing