Patek Philippe president Thierry Stern will not say how many of the new white gold Nautilus 5811 the company will produce, but demand is certain to exceed supply, which will bring the usual challenge of disappointing good customers to authorized dealers.
He is also refusing to say for how long the descendant of the iconic 5711 in stainless steel will be made, telling Britain’s The Daily Telegraph, “I will stop production before there are too many of them and the value goes down.”
WATCHPRO was visiting a Patek Philippe AD on the day after the 5811 dropped, and the teams’ phones had not stopped pinging with requests from long-standing customers; most of whom will never be able to buy the new Nautilus.
“Each retailer will receive maybe one or two pieces and there will be thousands of people calling to inquire about buying one, so it will not b an easy situation for retailers, that’s for sure,” Mr Stern concedes.
Before anybody feels too sorry for these authorized dealers, remember these unicorn watches will be reserved for only the biggest spending customers, who are likely to spend hundreds of thousands of pounds at their chosen stores on other watches and jewelry in order to stand a chance of getting a 5811.
How to buy a Nautilus
The rumor doing the rounds is that Tiffany & Co. — the only Patek Philippe authorized dealer in the world permitted to stock the almost mythical Tiffany Blue-dialed Nautilus 5711 — will sell that watch for the retail price of $52,635 if a customer buys other watches and jewelry totaling $300,000.
That is only if the customer passes the test of being important by virtue of their history with Patek Philippe and/or Tiffany. Being a mega celebrity probably helps.
There is no limit on the production of the white gold 5811, retailing for £56,190, and Mr Stern will not give any sort of figure on how many will be made and for how long.
“Is it going to be 500 piece or 5,000? It is difficult to say. There is not an exact number, it is a feeling,” he tells The Daily Telegraph.