Patek PhilippePatek Philippe’s mechanical masterpieces are usually made from precious metals but its sporty steel Nautilus and Aquanaut lines have been popular as well since their introduction in the 1970s and 1990s, respectively.NautilusAfter the roaring success of Audemars Piguet’s Gerald Genta-designed Royal Oak, Patek decided that it also needed its own luxury steel sports watch.As the story goes, Gerald Genta drew the initial design of the Nautilus while observing a group of Patek executives having dinner during the Baselworld watch fair. When the Nautilus was introduced in 1976 it was advertised as a watch that worked equally well with a wet suit as with a dinner suit. Not quite incidentally, it was also the most expensive steel sports watch available in the market.Ever since the very first Nautilus, the Patek and Nautilus names have become inseparable. Over the years, many variations, with different materials, dial colors and layouts, and complications, have been added to the Nautilus lineup. However, Genta’s original design elements have remained in all these executions: a rounded octagonal bezel inspired by the portholes of a ship with ‘ears’ on the sides of the case that look like the hinges of a porthole.