Slipping On The Double-Denim Patek Philippe Duo World Time Date 5330G And Nautilus Self-Winding Chronograph 5980/60G

You’ve seen the press pics, and you’ve read the comments. Now it’s time to slip on and try out the double-denim Patek Philippe duo — the World Time Date 5330G and Nautilus Self-Winding Chronograph 5980/60G. I had to find out how these somewhat controversially styled watches felt and wore in reality. While I was at it, I also managed to get a little time with the Aquanaut Travel Time 5164G, which comes in grayish-blue attire that reminds me of faded jeans.

The comments under the introduction article for the new Patek Philippe World Time Date 5330G and Nautilus Chronograph 5980/60G and their jeans-look straps were not casual like denim, to say the least. Sure, the new white gold and blue Aquanaut Travel Time 5164G on its rubber strap got a pass, but the other two… Allow me a small but stinging collection of quotes from the comment section: “Trying to connect to a younger audience by using the faded Jeans look, wow!” “Dad jeans.” “They could have collaborated with Diesel or Jnco…” Those comments are, of course, based on the press pics provided by Patek. Those were the same ones on which I based my first article, which went live on the first day of Watches and Wonders 2024. As always, though, a hands-on with the final product is necessary to get to know and experience the watches.

The double-denim Patek Philippe duo got a lot of heat, but is that fair?

With watches, it’s pretty much the same as with jeans; you have to try them on for size. Looking at pictures, liking what you see, and even picking your usual size doesn’t guarantee a perfect fit. If you want to stray away from your perfect pair of jeans, the only way to do it is to get out there and try on what you have in mind. So I entered the Patek Philippe press room and asked for a 31 × 32 to find out if my trusted size would also apply to the brand’s denim offerings. OK, no, I didn’t. But I did try on the World Time Date 5330G and Nautilus Chronograph 5980/60G as soon as I could.

It looks like real denim…

First up was the World Time Date 5330G. Immediately, the strap looked a lot like real denim. Upon touching it, though, I could instantly tell that it wasn’t. It’s super soft to the touch, for one, and it feels very luxurious. The rough structure of denim is absent, but the look remains. And although I’m usually not the biggest fan of contrast stitching — it takes attention away from the dial, for instance — in the case of this rather loud denim-style strap, the white stitching is on point.

The straps are made by the same company that made the embossed carbon-look calfskin straps for last year’s three Calatrava 6007G iterations. Maybe the person responsible for straps at Patek went there, got to see a very impressive presentation with all kinds of wild designs made possible by new techniques, and ordered something exotic for a few years to come. Just wait to see what straps Patek will surprise us with come Watches and Wonders 2025…

Not too baggy and not too skinny

Pairing a “denim” strap with a white gold watch from Patek Philippe’s Complications collection might sound a bit like wearing destroyed 501s and a handmade tie from Drake’s (according to British GQ, the best classic tie maker in the world). It seems like it shouldn’t work. In real life, though, the combination did make sense to me.

The dial design of the technically advanced World Time Date 5330G is quite dynamic and casual in a very carefully styled and crafted way. The watch looks fresh and vital, and so does a well-fitting pair of jeans — not too baggy and definitely not skinny. I don’t think the strap downgrades the CHF 65,000 World Time Date at all. And, if you’re a potential customer, don’t worry if you can’t live with the strap the watch is presented on. You can have another strap fitted to your new watch in the boutique. How about a red alligator one to match the tiny red details on the dial?

Looking past the strap

When I look past the strap and focus on the case, dial, and movement of the watch, I don’t find anything to dislike. The proportions of the fully polished white gold 40 × 11.57mm case are quite good. Sure, at 49.74mm from tip to tip, the lugs are on the lengthy side, but I didn’t find that problematic on my wrist. Speaking of the lugs, their stepped shape is very sophisticated, and the rounded mid-case is just sublime. The same can also be said about the 3Hz micro-rotor caliber 240 HU C inside, an upgraded variant of the caliber 240 HU found in the standard World Time model.

One of the most outstanding elements of the new World Time Date is almost impossible to see. It’s the red-tipped glass date hand driven by a dedicated going train. This new date mechanism consists of no fewer than 70 parts. The way the date moves backward and forward in sync with the time display is also captivating.

Nautilus in denim — the perfect fit?

The chronograph version of the Nautilus is not a new concept. The reference 5980/60G with a blue dial is. And so is the new jeans-look strap, of course. You might say that the sportiest of all Nautilus models is the perfect fit for the most easy-going straps in the Patek Philippe collection. Again, the quality is super high, but because of the watch’s pronounced 40.5 × 12.2mm dimensions, porthole shape, different angles, and horizontally embossed dial design and layout, the denim-look strap feels like a bit much. Unlike the round-cased, standard-lugged World Time Date, which helps the strap seem fairly straightforward, the Nautilus has an intricate integrated bracelet by design. And that flowing design is now “interrupted,” so to speak, by an extravagant strap on a special link in a peculiar shape to fit the case.

Visually, there’s just a lot going on here. There’s also the chronograph’s combined hour/minute counter, for instance, and the pushers on the right side of the case. The CHF 67,000 Nautilus Self-Winding Chronograph 5980/60G is a lot to take in. That said, it does sit nicely on the wrist. With a 45.4mm lug-to-lug, the size is fool-proof, and the white gold Nautilus-signed folding clasp looks the part and works flawlessly. I do prefer a pin buckle with sports watches, but in this case, it would not make much sense. I mean, who’s going to exercise wearing a watch like this?

When I managed to look past the strap, I noticed the case and bezel showing delicate, contrasting polished and satin finishes. And through the case back’s sapphire window, the automatic flyback chronograph caliber CH 28‑520 C/522 also shows prominent signs of horological refinement.

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Travel Time 5164G-001: true blue

The new Aquanaut Travel Time 5164G-001 with its blue dial and rubber strap is rather hard to dislike. It’s way less controversial because of its grayish-blue rubber strap that’s not too light, too dark, too shiny, or too matte. The case’s 40.8mm diameter, 10.2mm thickness, and 46.5mm lug-to-lug length are spot on; are there any adult wrists out there that can’t handle a case with these measurements?

It’s safe to say that of all three blue-jeans novelties, the globetrotting Aquanaut is the one that’s (almost) above discussion. It’s water resistant to 120 meters (and also 30 meters, the golden/confusing standard Patek Philippe introduced this year out of the blue), and the automatic caliber 26-330 S C FUS caliber is something almost everyone can get behind. Maybe the only hurdle is the CHF 53,500 price. Well, that and the fact that it will be very difficult to get your hands on it, even if you have CHF 50K+ to spend but the people working in your closest AD are not on a first-name basis with you.

A last word on denim

As you might know, I own an Oris × Momotaro Divers Sixty-Five, a retro diver with a denim strap. That funky watch, with its foamy green dial and bronze accents, is a great match with the dark blue denim and the Japanese Momotaro brand’s two characteristic white stripes. Oris beat Patek in the OEM use of denim, you could say. On the other hand, a Patek with a real denim strap also seems wrong. Denim, no matter how heavy/exclusive the fabric, is not a Haute Horlogerie material. Having said that, if you want to give denim a try on your Nautilus, take a look at Visconti Milano. For €275, this Italian strap maker will sell you a Nautilus-specific, Italian-made strap with a Japanese Kurabo denim exterior and a lining of Italian Alcantara in Infanta Blue.

So, what are your thoughts now? Are the jeans-look straps still too much and/or too gimmicky in your opinion? Is it like one reader commented, “Denim is for pants,” and nothing else? Or are you warming up to the “Canadian Tuxedo Edition” watches that Patek so casually presented? Have your say in the comments.