The Nautilus made its debut in 1976 at the Basel fair and was a sensation. To understand how radical its introduction was, it’s important to consider the state of the Swiss watch industry at the time. The so-called Quartz Crisis, brought about by the prevalence of accurate affordable quartz watches, many from Asia, led many Swiss brands to rethink their own offerings and drove many out of business. Patek Philippe was an old proud company, not one to yield to trends but one that realized that some change was needed. It had long been known for its elegant, complicated watches and was considered the old guard and old money of the industry. A 42-millimeter steel sports watch was a gamble, but one that has paid off for Patek Philippe. The Nautilus has since become a legitimate timepiece icon.