Patek Philippe × Tiffany: the "Tiffany blue" Nautilus 5711 price, and why signed dials are worth more

On 11 December 2021, in New York, a steel Nautilus with a turquoise blue dial sold for $6,503,500, including fees. Its retail price was just over $52,000. What separates these two figures comes down to three words printed at 6 o'clock: "Tiffany & Co.". This extreme case illustrates an old market rule: a dial bearing the signature of a historic retailer can be worth considerably more than the same dial without it. Here is why, and how far the rule goes.

Patek Philippe and Tiffany: 170 years of selling

Tiffany & Co. has been selling Patek Philippe watches in New York since the mid-19th century. For decades, like other major retailers, the house had its name printed on the dial of the pieces it sold, next to the manufacturer's. These are known as "double-signed" dials. The practice, common until the 1970s, then almost disappeared: the manufactures wanted to regain control over their image.

In 2021, to mark 170 years of their relationship, Patek Philippe made an exception. Reference 5711/1A-018 revisits the steel Nautilus 5711, which the manufacture had just announced as discontinued, with a Tiffany blue dial signed with both names.

The 5711/1A-018 in figures

Two caveats when reading this. The first sale was for charity and concerned piece number one, sold before the other 169: it measures the value of a symbol more than that of the watch. The second, in Geneva eleven months later, gives a fairer order of magnitude for a series piece, and it is still around sixty times the retail price. Subsequent public sales, rarer, have not been tracked systematically enough here to derive a market value: a run of 170 pieces produces too few transactions for a reliable range.

Other Tiffany-signed dials

The 5711/1A-018 is only the most publicised case. The market distinguishes three families.

1. Vintage Patek Philippe signed Tiffany. Calatrava, chronographs, complications: the double signature is common on pieces sold in New York. It brings a premium, especially when the dial is in original condition and the provenance is documented.
2. Tiffany-signed Rolex. Vintage Submariner, GMT-Master, Daytona, Datejust: some were sold with a double-signed dial, and auction houses present them as a category of their own. The premium is often higher than elsewhere, because the signature is rarer on a Rolex sports watch than on a dressy Patek.
3. Unsigned "Tiffany blue" dials. The turquoise-dial Oyster Perpetual launched by Rolex in 2020 is nicknamed "Tiffany" by the market, but it bears no signature from the jeweller. Its value owes everything to the colour and demand, nothing to a collaboration. Do not confuse a market nickname with a double signature.

Why a signed dial is worth more

The premium on a signed dial rests on three mechanisms, which add up.

• Rarity. A retailer ordered small quantities. On a reference produced in several thousand pieces, the signed variant may number only a few dozen.
• Provenance. The signature tells where and to whom the watch was sold. With the box, papers and the retailer's original invoice, it turns a series watch into a traceable piece. It is one of the rare cases where a full set does not just add a few percent: it validates the signature itself.
• The story. The market pays for stories. A double-signed watch belongs to the history of a house and a city, and collectors pay for that extra meaning.

Conversely, the premium disappears when the signature cannot be proven. A repainted dial, a signature added later or a replacement dial take the watch back to its base value, or even below.

The risk: fake double signatures

A signature printed on a dial is easier to fake than a movement. The market knows of original dials to which a retailer's name was added, and of entirely redone dials. Before buying:

1. Insist on documentation: the retailer's original invoice, certificate, archive extract where the manufacture issues one.
2. Have the dial examined by an independent specialist or an auction house: the ink, font, alignment and ageing of the signature must be consistent with the rest of the dial.
3. Be wary of too small a premium: an authentic double signature commands a price. A "Tiffany" Rolex offered at the price of an ordinary Rolex should arouse suspicion, not enthusiasm.

Our glossary entry on authentication summarises the useful checks before any significant purchase.

What this means for a seller

If you own a watch with a signed dial, three practical tips:

• Do not have the dial restored. A retouched signature loses most of its value. The rule applies to the case too: our article to polish or not to polish your watch explains why an over-restored watch sells less well.
• Gather the provenance before asking for a valuation: invoice, box, papers, old photos.
• Think about tax. In France, the sale by a private individual of a watch worth more than €5,000 falls by default under the flat tax of 6% (+ 0.5% CRDS, i.e. 6.5%) on the sale price, or, with proof of acquisition, under the capital gains regime (19% + 17.2%, 5% allowance per year beyond the second, exemption after 22 years). Our article on the taxation of selling a watch details the calculation. If you live outside France, check the rules of your own country.

To place a "classic" Nautilus against this exception, see our article on Nautilus 5711 and 5811 market values, and our selection of auction records for 2025–2026.

Practical information

• Lot page for the first piece: phillips.com
• Patek Philippe, Nautilus collection: patek.com
• Before selling a signed piece: have the provenance and dial condition established by an expert before listing it.

In short

The Nautilus 5711/1A-018 is an exception, not a model: a run of 170 pieces, a symbol, a charity sale. But it sheds light on a lasting rule: an authentic, documented double signature adds a real premium; a doubtful signature adds only risk. For a Patek Philippe or Rolex without a special signature, calculate its market value from the reference, year and condition.