Dr. N.
Il Nautilus by Patek Philippe and Royal Oak by Audemars Piguet they are among the most requested watches in the world of luxury. It is not only the quality of their workmanship, the timeless aesthetics or the technical refinement that make them unique in their kind. These are models that have written the history of modern watchmaking by creating the category of high-end sportsmen, therefore they have rightfully entered the restricted group of watches that can be called “living legends” among today's timepieces.
Let's go today to find out more about these two heavyweights in luxury watchmaking.
Gerald Genta and his creations
Our story begins with Gerald Genta, the inventor of watchmaking design. Strange as it may seem today, until the XNUMXs the watchmakers did not design the watches they produced: they just ordered dials, spheres, bracelets and so on from their suppliers, within certain specifications, and then assembled them. Style research work was often delegated to the suppliers themselves.
Gerald Genta, as a modest Italian-Swiss jewelry designer, soon rose to fame thanks to his talent in designing complete watches for prestigious companies. One of the first successes is with Omega, for which he designs a version of the Seamaster and Constellation.
In 1968, Patek Philippe commissions to Gerald genta one of the most elegant watches ever, the Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse. The Golden Ellipse is characterized by a design based on the golden section and by a very subtle movement. Initially manual winding, in the seventies the Golden Ellipse will be equipped with a very thin automatic winding movement with decentralized rotor.
The two great successes of Genta
In the seventies, Gerald Genta was contacted by Audemars Piguet, then back from Patek Philippe, to design sports watches aimed at the Italian watch market, at the time the second in the world after the US. The fruits of his labors are what still make him remembered as the greatest watch designer of all time. We naturally speak of Audemars Piguet Royal Oak of the 1970 and the Patek Philippe Nautilus 1976. The style of Royal Oak is based on the shape of the helmet of a diving suit, while the Nautilus is drawn by Gerald genta during a lunch with the staff of Patek Philippe, drawing inspiration from the portholes of ocean liners.
Curiously, these models, which are in great demand today, are not appreciated immediately: for example, we must wait until the XNUMXs for the Patek Philippe Nautilus it rises to the status of style icon in collective perception.
Audemars Piguet Royal Oak vs Patek Philippe Nautilus: which one is right for me?
These two watches, united by the hand of the great designer Gerald Genta, are undoubtedly two great classics of luxury sports watchmaking. Indeed, it is the founders of this market segment that still dominate.
Which one to choose between the two is a matter of taste. Both are of great aesthetic impact. Audemars Piguet's Royal Oak is more angular, Patek Philippe's Nautilus more refined and enveloping on the wrist.
