Patek Philippe Aquanaut: Evolution over the years

Necessity is the mother of invention. Obviously, the same is true for young and discerning consumer markets with disposable income. This is the case with the Patek Philippe Aquanaut series.

When Patek Philippe launched the Aquanaut series in 1997, people were a little skeptical. After all, why does Patek Philippe launch another series of luxury sports watches that look almost the same as its existing and already iconic Nautilus series? The answer is that in the booming Internet era in the 1990s, its young and trendy consumer market is eager for fast cars, high-tech products and luxury goods.

Just like other companies of that era, Patek Philippe hopes to provide what they want for this particular market. It should be modern and luxurious, but sporty. Enter the Patek Philippe Aquanaut series.

In 1997, Patek Philippe Nautilus (Patek Philippe Nautilus) celebrated its 20th anniversary and launched the first models of the Aquanaut series. Obviously inspired by the iconic shape of Nautilus, these models have round octagonal cases. In order to make it more attractive to the young market, Patek Philippe positions the price of Aquanaut slightly lower than Nautilus, providing fans of the latter with a more affordable alternative.

Below, let us learn more about some of the most well-known models in the series.

Aquanaut models over the years

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Ref. 5060A (1997)
Aquanaut reference number. The 5060A is the first reference in the series, using the iconic round octagonal 35.6 mm stainless steel case. The dial has a black checkerboard pattern with tri-filled hour hands and hands. There is a date window with stylized cursive font at 3 o’clock. The sturdy and durable sports rubber strap complements the dial’s texture. They are nicknamed “Tropical” and are made of ultra-durable composite materials. It is worth noting that this is Patek Philippe’s first watch with a rubber strap. Therefore, at the time they were not sure how the market would react.

In order to improve the design level of sports buy replica aaa watches, Aquanaut is equipped with a three-part case and screw-in crown, with a water resistance of 120 meters. The self-winding movement 330 SC movement powers it, giving the watch a 45-hour power reserve.

Patek Philippe Aquanaut’Jumbo’Ref. 5065A-001 (1998)
The following year, 1998, Patek Philippe Aquanaut’s “Jumbo” Ref 5065A-001 model came out. 5060A. In order to provide the wearer with more choices, Patek Philippe decided to launch a larger version of the series, this time with a 38.8 mm stainless steel case. Therefore, the name is “Jumbo”.

Like the original watch, the dial has an iconic “chocolate block” pattern and a matching black tropical rubber strap. In addition to the size, another important upgrade is the use of the updated Calibre 315 SC movement-replacing the previous Calibre 330 SC. The newer movement is thinner at 3.22mm (previously 3.5mm). Unlike previous models with a tight back cover, the “Extra Large” has a sapphire back cover, which allows Patek Philippe to demonstrate its mechanism.

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Ref. 5066A-001 (1998)
Outside, Aquanaut Ref. 5066A-001 looks exactly the same as the original reference. Type 5060. It has the same 35.6mm stainless steel case and black tropical rubber strap. It also has the same octagonal rounded corner shape and a dial with a black checkerboard pattern. However, the difference can be seen on the back. The new version uses a sapphire crystal glass case back instead of a closed case back, showing the same self-winding movement 330 SC. Ref. Ref. 5066 can maintain its 120m water resistance. At that time, it was the highest water resistance of a watch with a sapphire caseback.

Patek Philippe Aquanaut Ref. 4960J-001 (1999)
By 1999, Patek Philippe was preparing to launch the quartz series. The ladies’ version of Aquanaut-Reference. 4960J-housed in a smaller 18K gold case, only 29.5mm. Retaining its iconic cushion shape, it has a golden yellow bezel, a black checkerboard dial with Arabic numerals and a matching black tropical rubber strap. Unlike the previous mechanical version, this version is equipped with a quartz movement E19C movement, which has a strong 48-month power reserve. However, its waterproof performance is much lower, only 60 meters compared to the usual 120 meters. Review fake watch