In 1997 Patek Philippe introduced the Aquanaut, this marked the first time the brand would sell a watch fitted on a rubber strap. The Patek Philippe Aquanaut blends in a few design cues from the Patek Nautilus collection, it is believed that the new collection was essentially created to lure in an entirely new generation of collectors. The very first Aquanaut measured just 36mm in diameter and was limited to 1000 pieces in both refs. 5060A and ref. 5060J.

Despite its similarities to the Nautilus the Aquanaut definitely possesses distinctive features such as the case, dial, and strap. The satin-brushed finished case with alternating highly polished as well as beveled edges was rather unique, the construction of the three-piece case is entirely different from its predecessor or sibling, the Nautilus. The screw-down crown also allows for water resistance for up to 120 meters. The dial can be compared to Swiss Chocolate bars the interplay with the strap texture was rather unique and is still present to date.

The 5065A

A year later Patek Philippe released three additional references: 5064, 5066, and 5065. The 5065 is often named the ‘Jumbo’ as the traditional 36mm case size had been enhanced by 2mm, making the case size 38mm, for larger wrists. 

This example, ref. 5065A, was originally retailed by historically important retailer Gubelin in 2000. This particular example features tritium hour markers that have aged well, resulting in a warm brownish-yellow color. It is believed that Patek Philippe phased out tritium in favor of superluminova between 2004 to 2006. The textured black is reminiscent of military objects or Swiss chocolate bars. It is still ever-present in modern Aquanauts along with the textured bracelets. This particular example was originally sold with the stainless steel bracelet, an option that is offered today. In light of the 10 year anniversary of the Aquanaut in 2007, Patek Philippe discontinued all 506X references in favor of the 516X references.

The Movement

The 5065A is equipped with a caliber 315 SC a self-winding movement, it features 29 jewels, a straight-line lever escapement, and is just adjusted to five positions. The overall finishing of the movement is of a high standard displaying the classic circular Geneva stripes. The set comes with its original inner and outer box, along with the original warranty. 

Brand: Patek Philippe
Model: 5065A
Movement: Calibre 315 SC
Case Diameter: 38mm
Year: 2000
Box & Papers: Complete Set, box and papers.

In 1997 Patek Philippe introduced the Aquanaut, this marked the first time the brand would sell a watch fitted on a rubber strap. The Patek Philippe Aquanaut blends in a few design cues from the Patek Nautilus collection, it is believed that the new collection was essentially created to lure in an entirely new generation of collectors. The very first Aquanaut measured just 36mm in diameter and was limited to 1000 pieces in both refs. 5060A and ref. 5060J.