Those legends of 1970’s luxury watch design, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, and the Patek Philippe Nautilus are celebrated by many watch lovers for their unmistakable yet elegantly sporty design.  The superbly crafted integrated bracelets are a huge part of the image of both watches.

However, both designs look nothing but great on a fine leather strap.  As an example, consider the 18K gold versions of the new Patek Philippe Nautilus, Ref. 5711. Unlike the stainless steel model (which is offered only on the bracelet), these white, rose, or yellow gold Nautili watches are offered exclusively on straps.  The strap gives an entirely new, dressy aura to the design, and if anything, draws even more attention to the extremely fine contrasting finishes on the bezel, case and dial.

Some sartorially strict watch fans hold firm to the view that the Patek Philippe Nautilus watch is really suited only for casual wear–”a high luxury sports watch it may be, but it’s a sports watch nonetheless.” These strap models offer a powerful counter-argument; any of these Patek Philippe watches would look absolutely appropriate–and indeed, extremely handsome–with the finest of tailored suits.