Introducing the Patek Philippe Ref. 7118/1450R-001 Nautilus Haute Joaillerie

Launched in 1976, the Nautilus was surprising in several respects. The choice of stainless steel was totally unusual for a luxury watch. The octagonal bezel with rounded corners departed from conventional designs. Its case was inspired by a ship’s porthole. The exceptional robustness and water resistance to 120 meters was an extreme challenge then for a regularly produced watch. And the interplay of polished and satin-brushed finissage emphasized the uniqueness of the form elements.

With its horizontal relief embossing on the dial and the integrated steel bracelet with external links that tapered in the direction of the clasp, the Nautilus immediately proved to be the perfect incarnation of casual elegance and became a watch with the world’s greatest degree of brand awareness.

The iconic design of ladies’ Nautilus watches comes in various haute joaillerie versions set with brilliant-cut diamonds or baguette diamonds. From 2013 to 2018, Patek Philippe offered a rosegold model that including the dial was adorned with diamonds in a random pavé setting (also referred to as snow-setting (Ref. 7021/1R-001).

Now, Patek Philippe is revisiting this precious tradition by presenting a new model in rose gold with a diamond snow-setting on the case, the bezel, and the bracelet. The exclusive dial features individual rows of diamonds that exhibit a fine undulated relief, a typical facet of the Nautilus ladies’ collection. The second difference: the case is somewhat larger, with a diameter of 35.2 mm from 10 to 4 o’clock (as opposed to 33.6 mm for its predecessor).

The new Ref. 7118/1450R-001 Nautilus sparkles with the fire of 2553 flawless Top Wesselton brilliant-cut diamonds (~12.69 ct). This gleaming look is created with the very rare snow-setting technique, also known as random pavé. It is a highly sophisticated method mastered down to the last detail by the manufacture’s artisans. It consists of setting and fixation of diamonds of different sizes with the objective of minimizing the exposure of precious metal between the individual stones. It is self-evident that each watch with a full random pavé is a one-of-a-kind piece.

Perfect legibility is an indispensable requirement at Patek Philippe and also applies to haute joaillerie watches. This is why the dial features “Alpha” hour and minute hands in luminous rose gold; the applied Arabic rose-gold numerals are luminous as well.

The rose-gold case accommodates a self-winding caliber 324 S movement with extremely elaborate finissage that can be admired through the sapphire-crystal case back. The 18K rose-gold bracelet combines elegance with a truly comfortable fit. It is outfitted with a patented Patek Philippe fold-over clasp that is secured with four independent catches.