Although its absence from the brand’s lineup may have been brief, the Patek Philippe Nautilus chronograph reference 5980’s presence has been sorely missed in the collection since it was quietly discontinued in early 2024. As part of its Watches and Wonders 2024 novelties, however, Patek Philippe brings this popular chronograph complication back to the Nautilus family with a unique blend of refinement and casual cool. The new Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5980-60G brings back the unique stacked, concentric subdial layout of previous Nautilus chronographs, but combines this with a relaxed blue colorway and an offbeat denim-effect strap.

Measuring 40.5mm wide and 12.2mm thick, the Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5980-60G’s 18k white-gold case is, from a design perspective, pure classic Nautilus. The layout should be instantly familiar to enthusiasts, with the same broad chamfered bezel, porthole-inspired case side flanges, and smoothly elegant integrated lugs as the rest of the Nautilus collection. Naturally, the largest difference from the mainline Nautilus case design is the inclusion of chronograph pushers at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock. Broad and subtly rounded, the polished oval pushers add a new source of flash to an already bright and eye-catching case design. Patek Philippe tops off the case with a sapphire display caseback, as well. Given the Nautilus line’s sporting, aquatic pretensions, it’s difficult to judge the reference 5980-60G’s miniscule 30-meter water resistance rating as anything but disappointing.

Like the case, the dial design of the Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5980-60G should be familiar to fans of the brand. The classic Nautilus dial layout is broadly preserved here, with sleek paddle hands, angled applied indices, and a horizontally slatted “teak deck” dial surface. Rather than the deep, oceanic blue usually used for the Nautilus series, this new model uses a more muted, denim-inspired blue dial hue in images for a fresher, more relaxed look. The unique concentric subdial design of previous 5980 models is refined and highlighted here, gathering both chronograph hours and chronograph minutes into a single tightly packaged display at 6 o’clock. Crucially, though, this model ditches the two-tone display of previous blue 5980 references for a cleaner all-blue subdial layout, featuring tight azurage, airy white scales, and elemental stick hands for both subdial displays. Overall, it’s a simpler, more visually open layout than many of its predecessors, but one that still feels instantly at home in the brand’s catalog.

Patek Philippe powers the Nautilus reference 5980-60G with the manufacture Caliber CH 28-520 C/522 automatic flyback chronograph movement. The Calibre CH 28-520 C/522 offers robust if unspectacular performance, with a 55-hour power reserve at a 28,800 bph beat rate. In terms of finishing, this movement is contemporary and handsome in images, with circular Côtes de Genève across the semi-skeleton bridges and balance cock, polished anglage, oversized perlage on the mainplate, and an engraved 21K gold rotor with matching circular Côtes de Genève.

The new strap design added to the Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5980-60G arguably steals the show for this release. Attached to the case via the line’s classic polished rectangular integrated center links, this calfskin strap accurately captures the texture and color variations of heavily worn denim in photos. Equipping a strap inspired by faded blue jeans to a watch as formal and traditionally Swiss as Patek Philippe might seem like an odd pairing at first glance, but this more laid-back approach has its own sort of charm in images and matches the dial colorway splendidly.

The reference 5980 Patek Philippe Nautilus chronograph may have enjoyed a brief retirement in early 2024, but for Watches and Wonders the Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5980-60G brings this fan-favorite layout back to life in a charismatically casual new style. The Patek Philippe Nautilus reference 5980-60G is available now through authorized dealers. MSRP for this watch stands at 67,000 CHF as of press time. For more details, please visit the brand’s website.