It took a lot of time before the Patek Philippe Aquanaut collection became famous with watch collectors, especially the models that come with steel material. The history of the Aquanaut is interesting for everyone. It’s been said that the Aquanaut is also called the “Nautilus of Tomorrow.”
The Aquanaut’s bracelet is placed in a safe, intended piece of jewelry that is most luxurious. The Aquanaut came from the shadow of giant modern watchmaking. It managed to stand itself up and be known by many watch collectors around the world. Let’s discover together the history of the Patek Philippe Aquanaut.
The Origin of Aquanaut
Patek Philippe created the Patek Philippe Aquanaut to catch up with the rich and famous personalities of that time for them to have watched for their trips at sea. This watch is known to be a luxurious sports timepiece. It was inspired by the “Twenty thousand leagues under the seas.”
Ecce Aquanaut
This model was released to the general public in 1997; it was intended for the Maison. The model we are talking about is the 5060A “Aquanaut.” It was the first time in history that the company offered a timepiece with a bracelet made up of rubber. It took them a year to develop the strap they are using.
The final strap comes with twenty different kinds of molecules. It gives resistance to salt, bacteria, and even UV rays. It was Patek’s new look for prestige. It mimics the appearance of the Nautilus strap that is integrated. They later called the strap for this a “chocolate bar.”
The case measures 37.5mm, and inside the case, you can find the in-house caliber in this model. To be exact, it was the automatic 330 SC. The date was the only complication for this watch, and it has a thickness of 3.5mm caliber. Overall it comes with a superb finish.
Aquanaut take two
Despite the Patek Philippe efforts in creating the Aquanaut, the aquanaut still didn’t recognize it as deserved in its early years. Maybe because Gerald Genta’s signature was not on it. But after a year, they still released a newer model called the 5064 A-001. They reduced this model’s size to 34mm, and quartz E 23 SC was the caliber.
The phenomenon Aquanaut is 5065. It was released in 1998. It was known to be much contemporary, also known as the “Jumbo,” with 38mm. This model brings the Aquanaut much more close to the Nautilus. With the sapphire case back that was installed, the movement 315 SC was much more admired.
Its tenth anniversary
In 2007 the Patek Philippe Aquanaut celebrated its tenth anniversary on the market. For this specific occasion held, the Patek Philippe decided to develop the perfect clock they have. Now it is known to be an icon of the Patek Philippe. The case for this model remained and was not changed.
Patek Philippe retouched the corners for the developed model. But Patek Philippe did not change any of the design of this model. Another feature that was distinctive for this model was its dial. To complete the newer version of the dial, they removed the number three and gave more oxygen.
The most recognizable change that was made for this model was its bracelet. The pattern also changes as same as the dial. The watch’s sides were changed and made it flatter; they also changed its interior. To ensure much more comfort for the users.
The gold model of the Aquanaut
In 2011, the Aquanaut had its first complication with the model 5164 A 001 Travel Time. The general public can find a skeletonized hand just below the hand, and you can set it to show you a different time zone. To make the reading of the time easier, they added two different windows, and the color for it is interchangeable.
Aquanaut on its 20th birthday
When the Aquanaut turned twenty years old in the market, Patek Philippe had tons of surprises for the general public. One of the surprises is the 5650g Advanced Research Travel Time, and this model is only available in a limited edition. It was the showcase of the company’s great innovations.
Takeaway
More Patek Philippe Aquanaut models are available in the market for you to browse and know more about. This article only provided a few of the most known Aquanaut models of all time and their features. It would be best to browse more for you to find the best Aquanaut model you will want to purchase.
