All good things must come to an end and after 45 years, one of the most desired models in watchmaking history, the timeless Nautilus, will also go out of production in 2021. The news at the beginning of the year created a stir to say the least, driving the watch's price to paroxysmal levels, and the next version further unsettled collectors with its choice of an unprecedented olive green for the dial. Produced in very limited quantities, the "green" even surpassed at auction the classic 5711 with a shaded blue dial, with the resounding adjudication at over €400,000 at Antiquorum in July. Then, at the end of the year, came the surprise limited edition for Tiffany, with a much-criticised or much-hyped 'Tiffany blue' dial. Too much has been said about these exploits, which seem to postpone the release of the 5711/1A. And to think that it is still the same watch: manufacture calibre 26-330 S C with automatic winding, (in use on the 5711 from 2019), 40 mm case and water resistance to 120 metres. The only difference between the green and its predecessor is in the date font and the silver date frame at 3 o'clock. But 2021 saw the launch of another Nautilus reference, the 5990/1R-001, Travel Time Chronograph in rose gold. In addition to the flyback function, it offers a second time zone readout and a day/night display for both time zones. The deep blue dial is dominated by the date hand at the top and the chronograph minute counter at the bottom, while the day/night windows, topped by the inscriptions "local" and "home", are positioned at the sides. It joins the steel version, completing the offer with a precious material that is always in demand in the haute horlogerie segment. We believe that in this case no one will criticise the beautiful sun-blue dial.
