I worked on a hands-on review only 20 days after its release last year and I called the 18K rose gold 5990/1R the ‘King of All Nautiluses’. Almost a year later, this watch with a sticker price of $106,450 USD is selling/trading close to half a million dollars. Yes, that is not a typo. In my book is this watch worth that amount of money? Absolutely not. Many will differ with me and will say that something is worth what people are willing to pay for it. In theory, yes; but in the practice this is pure stupidity.
Despite that this is one of my favorite Patek Nautilus references and that this watch is simply incredible in the metal, paying half a million dollars for this complication is simply crazy. Fitted with a 40.5 mm case in 18K rose gold and a striking blue dial, this watch gives many watches out there a run for their money. However, there are other watches that I’d buy if I had half a million dollars laying around.
The 5990/1R features a chronograph with the Travel Time function that indicates the time in two different time zones at a single glance, its hinged case with two pushers —one to advance the independent travel time hand and the other to back it— on the left side of the case make sure that the travel time functionality wouldn't alter the overall look of the watch. A date corrector is located at the 1 o'clock position near the top right lug in a very discreet way, but with the end-user in mind in order to ease the date setting operation. Two apertures labeled ‘Local’ and ‘Home’ serve as the day/night indicators. The blue dial is a true chameleon depending on the lighting conditions and the subdials appear to be of a lighter hue of blue —even though they are not— at certain angles. Is this considering a Grand Complication? Not really.
If you wanted to remain within Patek Philippe half a million dollars still goes a long way if you look away from the ‘overhyped’ Nautilus collection. For that amount of money you could get not one but two Patek Philippe ref. 5270P in platinum with salmon colored dials or a white gold one and a platinum to mix it up as necessary. Here, you are getting one of the most incredible watches from and a Grand Complication with a Perpetual Calendar Chronograph.
Patek Philippe ref. 5270P in platinum with salmon colored dial
Patek Philippe Perpetual Calendar Chronograph ref. 5270G in 18K white gold
Now, if you want to look outside Patek, you could still remain within the ‘Holy Trinity of Watchmaking’ and if you really can’t resist having an 18K rose gold watch with a blue dial, you could get not one but maybe even three Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon 18K Pink Gold ref. 6000V. Or perhaps two Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Chronograph Perpetual Calendar ref. 5000T in 18K rose gold and a Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar to switch it on the weekends.
Vacheron Constantin Overseas Tourbillon 18K Pink Gold ref. 6000V
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Chronograph Perpetual Calendar ref. 5000T in 18K rose gold
Vacheron Constantin Traditionnelle Twin Beat Perpetual Calendar
Now, if you think that Audemars Piguet is the way to go since 2022 the Royal Oak is celebrating its 50th anniversary, how about adding a Royal Oak Grand Complication and call it the day. The Royal Oak Grand Complication includes a perpetual calendar paired with a split-seconds chronograph and a minute repeater. How’s that for an ‘F U’ watch?
In this crazy watch world we are living is time to start thinking differently and buy what makes the most sense. If you buy certain watches just to flex on Instagram or to impress your peers, then you are buying watches for the wrong reasons and you shouldn’t call yourself a watch collector, all you are collecting are ‘likes’ and envy out there. If you love horology for what it’s worth, then its time to go back to the drawing board and buy what made you go into the hobby in the first place. Half a million dollars will buy you a nice small condo here in Dallas, but it will also buy you the pinnacle of watchmaking and true horological masterpieces.
Again, if you have to have a Patek Philippe Nautilus Travel Time Chrono ref. 5990/1R at half a million dollars, you either have too much money to throw away, your desire to flex goes beyond your intelligence or you are into watch collecting for the wrong reasons.
And no, the 5990/1R is not a half a million dollar watch, just like the Tiffany Blue Nautilus ref. 5711 is not a $6.5 million dollar watch.
Let’s make watch collecting fun and great again!
