Created by the legendary designer Gérald Genta and first unveiled to the public in 1976, the Patek Philippe Nautilus is the Swiss brand’s iconic integrated bracelet sports watch, and it is widely considered to be one of the world’s most desirable luxury timepieces. Just like all of Patek Philippe’s watches, the Nautilus has steadily evolved throughout the years, and one of the more notable recent updates to occur within the collection is a new style of folding clasp that includes an extension system built into its structure.
With that in mind, the new Nautilus clasp wasn’t implemented across the collection within a single year, nor did it even appear in its present-day form at the time Patek Philippe first updated its design. Instead, the new clasp for the Nautilus evolved over the course of nearly half a decade, as a new design slowly made its way throughout the brand’s modern lineup.
When Did Patek Philippe Update the Clasp on the Nautilus?
Just like the watch itself, the folding clasp for the Patek Philippe Nautilus has slowly evolved throughout its history, with most updates occurring incrementally as new models were added to the collection. The clasps found on the very first models, such as the original ref. 3700 “Jumbo” and early versions of the mid-size ref. 3800 feature a single-folding design with an additional safety latch that folds over their outer structure; however, later models like the Nautilus Moon Phases ref. 3712 and the mega-famous Nautilus ref. 5711 received clasps with an updated double-folding design constructed from more substantial machined components.
Numerous updates to the Patek Philippe Nautilus clasp have occurred since the collection first launched in 1976, although the clasp historically followed the same fundamental design that relied on a friction-based latching system and lacked any type of integrated extension. However, in 2018, Patek Philippe introduced a new style of double-folding clasp on the white gold Nautilus Perpetual Calendar ref. 5740/1G-001, which featured a push-button latching mechanism that replaced the friction-based system of previous models. With a spring-operated mechanical latch securing the two sides, the updated style of Nautilus clasp doesn’t require an additional safety latch, and it benefits from both a more secure design and a more elegant overall appearance.
However, when the push-button folding clasp first appeared on the Patek Philippe Nautilus in 2018, it lacked an integrated extension system, and this detail didn’t arrive until the following year in 2019, with it exclusively debuting on the new Ladies Nautilus ref. 7118 watches. That said, the extension that first appeared in 2019 isn’t the version that Patek Philippe uses for its latest Nautilus models, and the brand further refined its extension system in 2022 with the ability to lock the two sides in either their open or closed positions. Since updating its extension in 2022, Patek Philippe seems to have settled on this latest design, and the new style of clasp has continued to make its way across both the Nautilus and Cubitus collections.
Different Types of Patek Philippe Nautilus Clasps
Patek Philippe Nautilus clasps can be grouped into five main categories, with each one representing an evolution of its direct predecessor. With that in mind, new clasps typically debut on new models, and since Patek Philippe never implements a new style of clasp across the entire collection at the same time, it is quite common to find different styles of fold clasps fitted to Nautilus models from the exact same year.
For example, if you were to purchase a Nautilus Chronograph ref. 5980 or a Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph ref. 5990 back in 2021, the bracelet would be fitted with the updated style of folding clasp with a double push-button locking mechanism. However, the green-dial Nautilus ref. 5711/1A-014 and the ultra-rare Tiffany & Co. Nautilus ref. 5711/1A-018 both feature the older style of double-folding clasp with a friction-based latch, despite the fact that both models were released that same year in 2021.
Single-Folding Clasp (Friction Latch)
Vintage Patek Philippe Nautilus watches like the original ref. 3700 and the earliest versions of the mid-size ref. 3800 are fitted with single-folding clasps that feature a friction-fit latches paired with an additional safety latch that folds over the outside of the clasp’s structure. This style of clasp is most frequently found on vintage Nautilus watches from the 1970s and 1980s, and while later executions of this clasp featured thicker components and a more substantial friction latch, the core design remains the same across all versions of this clasp style.
Double-Folding Clasp (Friction Latch)
First appearing in the 1990s, a double-folding clasp with a friction-based latching system served as the standard option for Patek Philippe Nautilus watches until just a handful of years ago. Expanding upon the concept of the original Nautilus clasp with a double-folding “butterfly” style design and a more refined structure, this style of folding clasp offers improved ergonomics compared to its direct predecessors. However, the latching system still relies on friction to secure its components, and the clasp therefore includes the same additional safety latch to help prevent accidental opening.
Double-Folding Clasp (Push-Button Release)
Debuting in 2018 on the Nautilus Perpetual Calendar ref. 5740/1G-001, the push-button release version of Patek Philippe’s double-folding clasp represents the most significant development in the evolution of the clasp’s structure. Similar to the previous generation, the push-button clasp features a double-folding design, although instead of relying on friction to secure the two sides of its folding structure, a spring-loaded mechanism engages four small pins to lock the clasp into its closed position. Since both buttons need to be pressed in order to release the clasp, an additional safety latch isn’t required, and Patek Philippe’s push-button clasp benefits from a more refined and elegant overall appearance.
Double-Folding Clasp (Adjustable Link Extension)
When Patek Philippe unveiled the new Ladies Nautilus ref. 7118 watches in 2019, the brand also debuted an updated version of its push-button folding clasp that featured a tool-free extension system built into its structure. Integrated into either side of the clasp is an adjustable link that allows users to expand both sides of the bracelet by 2mm in order to create 4mm of total adjustment. Extending the bracelet is achieved by pulling the two expandable links away from the clasp, while squeezing them back together will contract the bracelet; however, this first-generation extension system doesn’t provide users with a way to lock the extension system once they adjusted the bracelet to fit their wrist.
Doubling Double-Folding Clasp (Lockable Adjustment System)
Officially referred to as a “fold-over clasp with lockable adjustment system” by Patek Philippe, the most recent version of the Nautilus clasp expands upon the design of the brand’s original extension system by integrating a button-operated locking mechanism into the clasp’s structure. Just like the previous version of the Nautilus clasp, the latest generation features a double push-button release with two extendable links that each provide 2mm of adjustment. However, rather than simply pulling or pushing the two links together, users must push two small buttons located on the inside of the clasp, and this allows the extension system to be locked into either its open or closed positions.
Patek Philippe Nautilus Clasp Timeline
Given that Patek Philippe has always taken a gradual and incremental approach to the evolution of the Nautilus folding clasp, the famous Swiss brand has never symmetrically rolled out new clasp styles across the entire Nautilus collection. Consequently, the five main styles of Nautilus folding clasps can best be categorized into the following evolutionary timeline.
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1976 — The Patek Philippe Nautilus is introduced with a single-folding clasp that uses a friction-based latch.
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1990s — Double folding clasps with friction-based latches begin to replace the single-folding style as new models are introduced to the collection.
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2018 — Patek Philippe debuts a new style of double-folding clasp for the Nautilus with a double push-button latching mechanism.
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2019 — An integrated extension system is added to the push-button Nautilus clasp, which allows users to expand or contract both sides of the bracelet by 2mm.
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2022 — Patek Philippe updates the extension system on the Nautilus folding clasp to include a button-based locking mechanism.
Which Patek Philippe Nautilus References Have Updated Clasps?
The best way to figure out what type of folding clasp will be fitted to a Patek Philippe Nautilus is to look at the year of production for that specific watch, and there are some concrete rules that can be applied to the process. However, it is also important to take into consideration when that model was first introduced and when it was discontinued, as this will also determine the type of clasp that will be fitted to its bracelet. While Patek Philippe has updated some Nautilus references to include newer styles of clasps than what was originally fitted to them when they first debuted, other references maintained the same style of clasp throughout the entirety of their production.
For example, the Nautilus Moon Phases ref. 5712 first debuted in 2006 with a double-folding clasp that relied on a traditional friction-based latching mechanism. However, since the ref. 5712 still exists within the brand’s current lineup as the 18k rose gold ref. 5712/1R-001 (which was launched in 2022), this latest version of the ref. 5712 will be fitted with Patek Philippe’s updated push-button folding clasp that includes a lockable extension system. Conversely, the Nautilus “Jumbo” ref. 5711 also debuted in 2006, but since the model was slated to be discontinued in 2021, it never received a push-button clasp, despite the fact that this updated style has been part of Patek Philippe’s catalog since 2018. Instead, the “Jumbo” didn’t get a new clasp until the next generation arrived in 2022 with the white gold Nautilus ref. 5811/1G-001, and it received the latest style of push-button clasp with the brand’s lockable adjustment system.
The first concrete rule that can be applied to Patek Philippe Nautilus clasps is that any watch produced prior to 2018 will be fitted with a folding clasp that relies on a friction-based latch, and these clasps can easily be identified by the presence of an additional safety latch over the exterior of their structures. However, it's important to note that this style of clasp continued to be used on some Nautilus models for several years after Patek Philippe started equipping newer references with push-button folding clasps, and some models like the original stainless steel Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph ref. 5990/1A-001 can be found with both friction-based and push-button clasps, simply depending on the year that they were produced.
The other concrete rule that applies to Patek Philippe Nautilus clasps is that all references introduced after 2022 will receive the latest style of push-button folding clasp with a lockable adjustment system. For example, when Patek Philippe updated the stainless steel Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph in 2022 to feature a blue dial, the new ref. 5990/1A-011 was accompanied by another clasp update, which included the addition of the lockable adjustment system that debuted that same year. Lastly, it’s important to remember that the various extension systems are only found on bracelet-equipped versions of the Patek Philippe Nautilus, and models like the white gold Nautilus Flyback Chronograph ref. 5980/60G-001 receive more traditional deployant-style folding clasps fitted to the ends of their straps.
