According to Hellmut G. Bomm "Nautilus was based on a handwritten type used for the text Li. Das Helle, Klare from the I Ging.

"The intention was to create a clear, highly legible typeface. While the even strokes of sans serif types eventually tire the eyes in long texts, the marked stroke contrast of Nautilus lends the type its legibility. The characters were drawn with a broad tipped pen, and like an antiqua type, the forms of Nautilus display a variety of elements. The narrow figures with relatively large spaces between them create an overall open appearance and allow a large quantity of text to fit into a small space. More…

“The headstrong forms of Nautilus make this an excellent display type. The italic weights are independent typefaces with hints of a handwritten character.”