The Patek Philippe Aquanaut is a watch that hardly requires an introduction. Even though it was originally positioned as an entry-level sports watch, it has gone on to become one of the most sought-after and difficult pieces to acquire from Patek Philippe today. While the modern time-only 5167A is the version most people now know and love, more and more collectors are starting to look back at the 1990s to acquire the earliest models, like the 5060A offered here today.
For those unfamiliar, the Aquanaut has a rather convoluted origin story. It began with the 5060S, which was, in essence and appearance, an Aquanaut as we know it today. When it was first introduced in 1996, however, it was not positioned as a standalone model but rather as an extension, or to some degree, a derivative of the famed Nautilus. Visually, the lineage is unmistakable, with several design cues that clearly echo its predecessor, most notably the porthole-inspired case shape.
The Aquanaut’s real story began a year later in 1997 with the launch of the 5060A, which was created to appeal to a younger audience at the time. Priced as an entry-level Patek Philippe, it was crafted in steel, as denoted by the letter ‘A’ in its reference, which stands for Acier, the French word for steel, and paired with a composite rubber strap. This was a bold move for the brand at the time. Marketed as both a luxury sports watch and the younger sibling of the Nautilus, the 5060A was initially met with immense scepticism and even criticism, as many saw it as an unthinkable and radical departure from Patek Philippe’s design heritage and identity. Yet history shows that bold innovations rarely find immediate acceptance. As the first Patek Philippe ever to feature a rubber strap, the 5060A was no exception.
Another reason the Aquanaut was not warmly received at its debut was the lack of clarity in how it was positioned within its catalogue of offerings. If you look at some online resources, early marketing material shows that Patek Philippe at times referred to the 5060A both as a Nautilus and as an Aquanaut, creating uncertainty around when and how the distinction between the two lines was formally drawn. This ambiguity is perhaps most evident in the double-folding butterfly clasp fitted on these examples, including ours, which is engraved with the word “Nautilus”, a telling detail that indicates Patek Philippe still considered the model part of that collection at the time.
With all that being said, fast forward to 2025, and we all now know how this story had unfolded for the Aquanaut. In today’s collecting landscape, fueled by the continued boom in demand for luxury sports watches, the Aquanaut is viewed in a very different light, and early references like this 5060A (including subsequent ones like the 5065A) in particular have become a must-have for any discerning Patek Philippe collector. As with many historically important timepieces, its genesis serves as a reference point, a marker of significance, and ultimately something worth collecting.
Personally, as much as I like and appreciate the slightly larger 5065A at 38mm, my sweet spot has always been around the 36mm mark, which is exactly what this 5060A offers. There is something about a sporty Aquanaut in this size that feels perfectly balanced on the wrist, especially when paired with its striking and more pronounced “grenade” checkered dial motif and warmly aged tritium lume markers.
Another detail I have always admired about the Aquanaut is its composite ‘tropic’ rubber strap, designed with a matching embossed motif that extends all the way onto the dial as well. It is said that this strap took over a year to develop and is composed of more than twenty different materials, resulting in a construction that is practically impervious to the elements—making it, in essence, a true GADA (go-anywhere-do-anything) strap. Adding to the appeal, this particular example offered here is accompanied by an additional uncut green rubber strap, which Patek refers to as “Khaki.” Although the actual shade does not quite align with that description, as strictly speaking, khaki green usually has a slight yellowish undertone, it still adds a cool strap option if you ever feel like changing things up a little.
It is also worth noting that the 5060A was produced for only a single year before the line transitioned into three distinct references: the 5064 with a quartz movement, the 5065 with a larger 38 mm case, and the 5066, which was essentially the 5060 fitted with an open display caseback. It is estimated that only approximately 1,000 examples of the 5060 were made across both steel and gold variants, a figure likely dictated by the availability of Cal. 330SC movements at the time. This limited production run makes the 5060 a relatively rare and highly collectable reference, as well as a particularly meaningful piece of the Aquanaut’s early history.
