Patek Philippe Aquanaut Ref. 5060A – The First Aquanaut Reference

The Patek Philippe Aquanaut was introduced in 1997 and marked a new chapter in the manufacture’s modern history. With its case featuring a rounded octagonal bezel, its embossed black-grey dial pattern, and its then unusual composite strap, the model introduced a more contemporary and relaxed form of sporty elegance than had previously been associated with the brand. According to Patek Philippe, reference 5060A was the model presented at Basel in 1997, conceived for a young generation of active people, with a simpler three-part design than the Nautilus while still ensuring water resistance to 120 metres.

The present example belongs to this first generation and is of particular interest for its early execution with a solid case back. It also retains the early folding clasp stamped “Nautilus” on the inside. Already in circa 1998, reference 5060 was succeeded by reference 5066, its sapphire-caseback successor. The first series therefore had a very short production run and has in some contexts been estimated at around only 1,000 examples.