No Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712 watch comes cheap, but at least with the white gold Nautilus 5712G, you get impressive complications and precious metal. If you are going to spend the equivalent of a nice luxury car on a timepiece, it might as well be a gold watch that is highly complicated. Additionally, some baguette diamonds set into the bezel, clasp and indices for an added sense of sumptuousness would be nice, right? If this sensibility speaks to you, you are going to love this diamond Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712G.
The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712 watch G combines a classic look that is the Nautilus with high complications. It is a very rare example of a complicated Nautilus in white gold. This sensational watch is stunning, handsome, versatile and very easy to wear.
The Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712 watch remains unchanged since its launch back in 2006. It has the traditional Nautilus slim 40mm porthole-shaped case with a three-part construction that features “ears” on both sides, as well as the smooth, curvaceous octagonal bezel and the gradient, horizontally embossed dial.
What’s different from the more commonly seen Nautilus 5711 is the movement’s complications, which are displayed via the dial. It has a moonphase calendar, a running seconds sub-register, and a power reserve indicator, all of which are scattered over the dial in a somewhat haphazard manner. It’s the genius of Patek Philippe to be able to house numerous complications in the same slender case that we were blessed with back in 1976 when Gerald Genta created the Nautilus.
Overall, the precious metal Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712 watch takes a classic sporty watch and turns it into something more dressy with its alligator leather strap. Nevertheless, it still has the standard Nautilus’ any-occasion versatility, just with a more complex horological touch.
The watch is rich, sophisticated, and smart. Elegance and distinction is its core strength.
The Patek Philippe 5712G you see here has aftermarket baguette diamonds in the bezel, clasp and indices. Everything else is original and straight from the geniuses at Patek Philippe. The baguettes are extremely high quality and they were set to perfection by an expert gem-setter. They are not going anywhere. The setting is up to par with Patek’s standards.
Why baguettes?
These days, nothing is hotter than baguette diamond settings for Patek Philippe watches. At least for those who are not stubborn purists who think of a watch in terms of resale value (a financial investment) rather than simply getting something that catches the eye and that they appreciate for its beauty (an emotional investment).
Of course, we understand the thinking “why mess with something that’s already perfect”. But aftermarket settings, when done right, are surely a worthy work of art as well. This is why they have exploded in popularity over the last decade. Not everyone thinks like a traditionalist.
All that said, in terms of value, the great thing about buying an existing aftermarket diamond watch like this is the value is stable. The person who bought it new and then did the aftermarket diamond work took the loss. The price of it now, as it is pre-owned, will hold and most likely appreciate with time. After all, white gold, diamonds and Patek Philippe watches, especially the 5712, are only increasing in value.
All in all, this watch is absolutely stunning. This baguette setting complements the white gold Nautilus 5712 so perfectly it would likely surprise you to know that it isn’t a factory creation if you didn’t know anything about the Patek Philippe Nautilus 5712G.
Patek’s white gold is known in the industry as grey gold. It is a homogenous gold alloy, made specifically by Patek Philippe, that never needs to be re-plated. So, if it happens to get scratches or scuffs, there is simply more white gold underneath. Unlike conventional jewelry’s white gold which is a milky yellow white gold with rhodium plating.
The point is this white gold will last forever and it is unconditionally lustrous.
The case of this Nautilus, as always, is slim yet structurally expressive. The iconic clamp-like ears on the sides vividly express how the Nautilus is put together. The master Gerald Genta’s pencil stroke was not lost in the 5712’s design.
It is a classic 40mm, but because of the winglet style of the case, it sits broader on the wrist, giving you more wrist presence. It also creates the perfect balance and symmetry.
Now, for a more accurate understanding of the fit on the wrist, the lug-to-lug measurement of the watch is a compact 44.4mm. However, from the baguette diamond links that connect the bracelet, it is 50.4mm. This is a better measurement as that is where the case really ends when spanning the wrist. Because of that, this watch is perfect for anyone with a 14-16/17cm circumference wrist.
As for thickness, in spite of the complexity, the Nautilus 5712G is slim at 8.6mm thick. The calibre 240 micro-rotor enables the 5712 to preserve its standard low profile.
But, it’s not all about size, the finer details should be emphasized…
The case of this Nautilus 5712 is 18k white gold. It has an all brushed finish that is absolutely stunning. The high-level finishing is instantly recognizable. The finishing is really is next level on the gold version, when compared to the steel, even though the steel is fantastic as well. It must be the softness of the white gold that allows the grain of the finishing to be more defined. It produces a more lustrous matte look and feel than it does on steel. On the whole, the finishing has a charm to it that everyone mentions when they see the watch in person.
As for the bezel, it is the classic Gerald Genta rounded octagonal design, which like the case itself, has been unadulterated since the Nautilus was first created by sketch in the 70s.
If you look at the watch from the profile, you can see that the only mirror finishing on the case is the beveled edges of the bezel, as well as some other small elements.
The top of the bezel was originally brushed finished, but now, of course, it has an astounding channel of superbly cut baguette diamonds.
On the left ear of the watch, we have a small dimple pusher, which works together with the crown to control the moonphase calendar.
Finally, connecting the strap to the case is the unique bubble links. They replicate the look of the case itself, which is a cushion shape. Normally that is a high-polish piece, but since this one has baguette diamonds, the high polishing is replaced with a hall of mirrors-like chandelier radiance that the baguette